By Jeff Thomas
The shocking collapse of Desiree Charbonnet’s mayoral primary run parallels white flight to the suburbs from New Orleans in the 70’s. Though dramatically different attitudes and perspectives exist nearly 50 years later, at the most distilled level, a fear of some imagined corrupting aura around African Americans is the source of much of this white flight. Listening to the hyperbole of business and self-appointed people’s leaders, white voters acted like mindless sheep and deserted the Charbonnet candidacy in droves. But just as many whites, after fighting daily traffic snarls and soulless neighborhoods came to recognize that city life ain’t so bad, a thoughtful look at the attacks on Charbonnet might cause some kind of campaign gentrification.
In the 60’s and 70
’s the white conventional wisdom was that just being in the same school with black kids would corrupt or destroy the education of white children and was a primary reason whites chose to leave Orleans Parish. Today, many schools in New Orleans produce some of the most diverse and successful graduating classes in the metro area. And those whites who chose to ignore the conventional wisdom of that time and stayed in New Orleans were the progressive, thoughtful and committed citizens our city needed and still needs today. Like civil rights pioneers, Uptown, Algiers, Gentilly and Lakeview whites eschewed the simple minded hyperbole espoused by 1960’s white leaders and committed to a better New Orleans.
Shockingly, in the recent mayoral primary these same thoughtful, dedicated whites acted more like easily manipulated sheep and did not vote for Ms. Charbonnet. Much is often mentioned about the alphabet political organizations (LIFE, SOUL, COUP, BOLD, etc.) that supposedly heavily influenced the voting choices of African Americans in NOLA, while whites were most often guided by the Alliance, direct mail and TV commercials sponsored by business elites in NOLA. And while Latoya Cantrell, Mike Bagneris and Troy Henry might have been deserving candidates, voting against Charbonnet based upon the notion that some corruption might occur is more akin to 1960 thought than 2017 understanding.
Mitch Landrieu. John Georges. J.P. Morrell. Wesley Bishop. John Bel Edwards. Helena Moreno. Arnie Fielkow. Cedric Richmond. All were clients of and supported by Ike Spears and Blair Boutte. Each of those candidates hitched much of their campaign strategy in New Orleans on the Spears and Boutte firm. Yet none of these candidates are or have been labeled corrupt. And to this day Charbonnet herself has served our city for over 20 years and never before been accused of corruption though now she has been labeled corrupt by 2017 business leaders with 1960 type notions. Either all of these politicians are corrupt or Charbonnet is not.
At a time when our city faces huge infrastructure challenges, crime creep and a multitude of everyday issues we need our citizens to make election decisions based upon reality and not racially divisive and false campaigning of long departed eras. Our city needs an engaged electorate that overcomes insignificant dividers like race and relies upon sound reasoning and thoughtful consideration.
Look at the candidates. Vote based upon who you think will best serve us citizens. But don’t not vote because somebody touched a base emotion and scared you with an oft repeated false allegation.
Vote for Latoya Cantrell for mayor if you think she is the best qualified candidate. But the illogical and offensive conclusion based on irrational fear that Desiree Charbonnet will be corrupt because she has a campaign team of Spears and Boutte is not a reason to vote for Cantrell. 
Too much is a stake to be a white sheep being led to slaughter. (Couldn’t resist the pun or imagery). And like those who now want to return to the same New Orleans neighborhoods, a long term commitment requires vision and courage.
For real, our city deserves better.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Smart analysis. People are busy with their lives and do not have the time to check out these candidates. We need honest, independent sources like this to help us see the truth. Thanks for your work in the city.
Thanks for revealing the truth behind these attacks. Hopefully my fellow uptowners will understand what is happening and look closely at the candidates
I really like your articles. This is a fresh perspective that I can’ find anywhere in NO except here. Please keep up the great work and develop these great op ed pieces
Do you think anybody is listening? I hope other white people read this
Brings back unpleasant memories…