From Our Friends at The New Orleans Tribune
Unity or Division: What’s at Stake in the New Orleans Mayoral Race
When are we going to get our stuff together? Why have we allowed personal agendas to once again take centerstage, while a unified vision for our people suffers? It’s sickening. It’s time to unite or get the hell out of the way.
As we head into this mayoral race, let’s be clear: the narrative that Black folks must “hold each other accountable” by attacking our own leadership is nothing but a political trick. It’s a strategy designed to divide us, weaken us, and leave us fighting one another while those who have historically conspired against our community slip by unchallenged. Supporting a Black agenda and standing with Black leadership is not about turning a blind eye—it’s about demanding accountability where it truly belongs: with the power brokers, developers, and political players who profit off our division.
Helena Moreno and the Elite Power Structure in New Orleans
If Helena Moreno takes the mayor’s office, it will be to the detriment of Black civic and political power in New Orleans. Moreno has already shown us her hand. She began her second term on the City Council attacking the current administration — not to improve services or infrastructure or address low wages or skyrocketing housing costs — but to weaken the current mayor’s office and consolidate power elsewhere.
This was no coincidence. It was part of a longer, larger strategy—one backed by an elite power structure that has for decades sought to seize City Hall and strip Black New Orleanians of the influence we fought to build.
The plan has always been the same: divide Black voters, discourage participation, pit communities against one another, and push policies that hollow out our neighborhoods. When schools were taken over, Black teachers lost their livelihoods and resources were delivered on a silver platter to businesses masquerading as reformers. When redevelopment projects came through, Black families were priced out. These were not accidents.
How Division Has Historically Weakened Black Political Power
Moreno’s rise to the mayor’s race was built on attacking Black leadership and weakening the office of the mayor. Instead of focusing on the people’s priorities, she manufactured issues that distracted from real problems. Now, she wants to fix potholes. We aren’t buying it.
If Moreno becomes mayor, that strategy will be complete. She is aligned—whether openly or quietly—with the business and political class that has long resented Black leadership in New Orleans. She is their candidate. And if we do not unite, we risk handing her and them the keys to City Hall without a fight.
Building True Unity for the 2025 Mayoral Election
Unity does not mean we will agree on every issue or candidate. But unity means recognizing the threat in front of us and responding together, with discipline and resolve.
We need a clear platform—housing justice, protection against displacement, investment in Black businesses, equitable policing reform, and fair access to public contracts. These are the issues that shape daily life in our communities, and they must be at the center of this election.
We must mobilize every neighborhood in New Orleans. From Central City to the Lower Nine, from Gentilly to Algiers, turnout must be driven. Every household contacted, every church engaged, every parade turned into a voter education moment. They are banking on low turnout and apathy. We must prove them wrong.
Mobilizing Every Neighborhood to Protect Black Leadership
This fight is not only about the mayor’s office. It’s also about council seats and other municipal offices. These down-ballot races carry real power. We cannot afford to ignore them.
We must also be ready for misinformation, voter suppression, and smear campaigns. Speaking openly about Black political agency will bring attacks. We should not care. Protecting our communities and joining forces to ensure our needs are addressed is not reverse racism—it’s survival.
The power brokers backing Moreno do not see Black residents as equals. They see us as a voting block to manage, a culture to commodify, and a political problem to minimize. Even worse, some from our own community are willing to help them if it means keeping their seat at the table.
The Real Choice in 2025: Unite or Hand Over City Hall
History proves our power. From voter registration drives of the 1960s to battles for fair housing and cultural revolutions, we have always overcome. The opposition works so hard to keep us divided because they know our unity is unbeatable.
This election is not just about who occupies the mayor’s office. It is about whether Black New Orleans keeps real power in shaping the city.
If we unite—if we vote together, organize together, and demand accountability together—we ensure no one governs without us.
The last day to register to vote by mail or in person was Sept. 10.
Residents have until Sept. 20 to register online at geauxvote.com.
If you look at the Power Brokers behind Helena Moreno, you see the business community and some old political sell-outs. We don’t need a throwback to the past in order to move forward. Now, the problem we face is how to consolidate our vote with more than one Black candidate. And, how can we come to a consensus? We can’t wait for a Runoff because she could win in the Primary, just like our Republican Governor.
I invite others to chime in and start working on a strategy before October 11th. Can we agree on one Black candidate?
I support Ms. Moreno for Mayor. I believe that candidates Thomas and Duplessis have decided to run as a good cop bad cop team. Mr.Duplessis spread falsehoods while Mr. Thomas sit back silently. It appears there’s an agreement whereby Mr Duplessis will surely be granted an highly paid position in city government should Mr. Thomas win. Our city is in shambles. When a vote is awarded to a candidate, it should NOT be done because you are skin folks. You come out with our skin pigmentation when it’s convenient. Nothing lucrative or creative has been accomplished in our city since Mayor Marc. Shame on us to continue to vote for candidates who don’t represent the population of this community. Ms. Moreno has a vested interest in us, the people who live and love here.
Your take is wrong and dangerous. This is not the time to tear down Black leadership in New Orleans. Black leadership has built pathways for opportunity in our city. Jobs have been created, businesses have been launched, and communities have been strengthened because Black leaders fought for them.
To dismiss that as “nothing lucrative or creative” is not only false, it’s ignorant. It feeds a tired narrative that undermines the very progress seniors, families, and young people are experiencing.
Suggesting that candidates only show up with “our skin pigmentation when it’s convenient” is an insult to the lived struggles of those who have dedicated their careers to public service. What’s really convenient is using that line to elevate someone else at the expense of the very people who represent the majority of this city.
If you think opportunity only comes when a white candidate is in power, you’ve already told us more about your inferiority complex than about the state of New Orleans politics.
Let’s be clear: White ice ain’t colder.