Louisville, like many American cities this last week, was the site of multiple protests against police brutality. The city was marching for both George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT was killed after Louisville police entered her home with a “no-knock” warrant and opened fire.
Elected officials around the nation are working to reopen cities safely amid COVID-19. While the process has been delayed by the continuous spread of the virus, leaders are sharing their plans to get their cities back up and running. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is working around the clock to keep people healthy, help business owners open their doors, and serve the community.
Since being elected in 2018, Mayor Cantrell has launched a number of initiatives to restore and uplift the city. One of those initiatives is Forward Together New Orleans (FTNO), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Since the founding of the organization, the nonprofit has served as a bridge between the public and private sectors to address New Orleans’ most pressing challenges. More recently, she and FTNO partnered with Cash Money Records to pay June rents for low-income residents living in subsidized housing.
In an email interview, BLACK ENTERPRISE touched base with Mayor Cantrell about her efforts and initiatives as a leader.
NOLA has been hit hard by COVID-19. What has the city been doing to overcome some of the perils of the virus under your leadership?
New Orleans was at the forefront of this crisis, and our communities were disproportionately impacted by the fatalities. Over the past two months, New Orleans has gone from one of the cities with the highest rates per capita to a leader in recovery. New Orleans and the State of Louisiana are showing the world how to get through this. From day one, we took action that has set a foundation for our trajectory forward. Our city has become a world leader in testing residents.
We are testing at a higher rate than nearly anywhere in the country, and even some countries as a whole, and we are positioned to keep that going. We have stood up drive-thru testing and mobile testing sites in a matter of days. Testing has been one part of our response. We have flattened the curve—with proactive movement and messaging to unite the City in the need to decrease cases and fatalities. We are now working on contact tracing to get a better sense of who is getting infected, as well as how and where. New Orleans residents should be proud of what we’ve accomplished together in two months.
What are some of your plans for NOLA residents and small businesses as the city opens back up?
Currently, we are in Phase One of our reopening, which we have named “Safest at Home.” We are taking a cautious and intentional approach to our city. Each phase will begin to ease the restrictions on our people and businesses but will be done in a way so that we do not go backward. Our response has been guided by one operating principle for two months into this effort: We will focus on data and not on an arbitrary date. For our business owners and to all, there is not an either/or decision between economic health and public health. Without public health, economic activity is not possible.
Today, the @CityOfNOLA is announcing an $18M emergency feeding program that will provide meals for residents in need and will support local restaurants. Interested businesses should visit https://t.co/0kYHkpjFw5 RFP #624. #CityOfYes Watch launch: https://t.co/TDMQoJBCwH pic.twitter.com/dhDQbeLwmS
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) June 1, 2020
What impact will Cash Money’s contribution to your efforts have on New Orleans residents?
In years to come, when we look back on how our city came together to get through the coronavirus crisis, we will have a great example of leadership and community from the Williams brothers and Cash Money Records. No one should have to fear losing their home while trying to protect their health. Just as we took action and quickly banned evictions in our city during the COVID-19 crisis, this will help us continue on that path.
As people give back to the community, in what ways do you hope it inspires NOLA residents to keep going?
This donation demonstrates how we can come together as businesses, government, and nonprofits to address our residents’ most pressing needs now. No one person or entity can get through this alone, and we all have to be in this together. Our people are so resilient, and when they are put to a challenge like this, we see people rise to the occasion. I am confident that our city will be stronger, improved, and more resilient as we come out of this crisis.
What charge do you have for people to stay safe?
Follow the guidelines for your safety and the safety of others. Do not let up and stay the course. We do not want to endure another and worse wave of this pandemic.
To learn more about how COVID-19 is impacting the black community, click here.
Former President Barack Obama shared his thought on the killing of George Floyd and the protests that are taking place across the country.
According to BET, the former Commander-in-Chief discussed the frustrations of people he spoke to are feeling and noted that the incidents must be looked at with an open mind and an open heart.
“I want to share parts of the conversations I’ve had with friends over the past couple days about the footage of George Floyd dying face down on the street under the knee of a police officer in Minnesota,” Obama wrote on Twitter.
Obama, who gave a national commencement address two weeks ago, went on to share an email he received from a middle-aged African American businessman.
“Dude I gotta tell you the George Floyd incident in Minnesota hurt. I cried when I saw that video. It broke me down. The ‘knee on the neck’ is a metaphor for how the system so cavalierly holds Black folks down, ignoring the cries for help. People don’t care. Truly tragic,” the email read.
The president also shared a song by 12-year-old Keedron Bryant, expressing his anger.
“The circumstances of my friend and Keedron may be different, but their anguish is the same. It’s shared by me and millions of others.” Obama wrote.
“It’s natural to wish for life “to just get back to normal” as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly “normal”—whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.”
Obama added that these incidents and protests cannot be considered normal and that real change is needed.
“This shouldn’t be “normal” in 2020 America. It can’t be “normal.” If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.
“It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done. But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station—including the men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day—to work together to create a “new normal” in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”
Earlier in May, Obama criticized the Trump administration for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Former President Barack Obama shared his thought on the killing of George Floyd and the protests that are taking place across the country.
According to BET, the former Commander-in-Chief discussed the frustrations of people he spoke to are feeling and noted that the incidents must be looked at with an open mind and an open heart.
“I want to share parts of the conversations I’ve had with friends over the past couple days about the footage of George Floyd dying face down on the street under the knee of a police officer in Minnesota,” Obama wrote on Twitter.
Obama, who gave a national commencement address two weeks ago, went on to share an email he received from a middle-aged African American businessman.
“Dude I gotta tell you the George Floyd incident in Minnesota hurt. I cried when I saw that video. It broke me down. The ‘knee on the neck’ is a metaphor for how the system so cavalierly holds Black folks down, ignoring the cries for help. People don’t care. Truly tragic,” the email read.
The president also shared a song by 12-year-old Keedron Bryant, expressing his anger.
“The circumstances of my friend and Keedron may be different, but their anguish is the same. It’s shared by me and millions of others.” Obama wrote.
“It’s natural to wish for life “to just get back to normal” as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly “normal”—whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.”
Obama added that these incidents and protests cannot be considered normal and that real change is needed.
“This shouldn’t be “normal” in 2020 America. It can’t be “normal.” If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.
“It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done. But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station—including the men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day—to work together to create a “new normal” in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”
Earlier in May, Obama criticized the Trump administration for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president has been pushed by his supporters to nominate a Black, female candidate to join him on the ticket. As names like Sen. Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Florida Rep. Val Demings have been mentioned in that role, so has Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar.
READ MORE: Stacey Abrams is nobody’s Sarah Palin. Put some respect on her name
But in the wake of widescale protests since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, all of the women whose backgrounds include law enforcement in some area, except for Abrams, are now viewed as potential liabilities to the campaign.
Politico reports that Klobuchar’s record, in particular, has come under scrutiny. She was the Minneapolis-area prosecutor from 1996-2006 who had a reputation for being tough on crime.
READ MORE: Minneapolis police used neck restraints that rendered 44 suspects unconscious since 2015
In 2006, while she was running for the Senate office she now holds, Derek Chauvin was involved in an officer-involved shooting. Though Klobuchar had left her office as a prosecutor by then, she is still bearing the brunt of criticism for her overall record.
“There is a direct line of culpability between Klobuchar and this officer who lynched a man,” LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the group Black Voters Matter told Politico.
Harris and Demings, who ran the Orlando police department from 2007-2011 and is gaining more of a national profile, don’t have as troubling records. But Harris, who is the former California attorney general, has been criticized for some of the things she’s done as a prosecutor.
However, most political experts don’t believe that either of them has as difficult a path to a potential VP slot as Klobuchar, given the protests sweeping the country after Floyd’s death.
“Kamala has had some questionable cases, but not to the degree of Amy,” Sharpton told Politico. “If I were to list them, I would say Val is the least affected, and Amy is the most challenged by it.”
Though no one has spoken openly about Biden’s decision making or who may be atop his list, Klobuchar says she’s not taking herself out of the running.
READ MORE: Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar declined to charge cop who killed George Floyd in previous cases
She told Andrea Mitchell on her eponymous MSNBC show last week that she was staying in the race.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
The post Biden’s VP pick may be impacted by nationwide protests appeared first on TheGrio.
