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January 21, 2008
Feature Photo - "Dutch"
Tomb of Ernest Nathan "Dutch" Morial, 57th Mayor of New Orleans, in St. Louis Cemetery Number One on Basin Street.
It's fitting that we feature Dutch on MLK day, because he was such an important part of the New Orleans civil rights movement. Dutch was the city's premier "first black." He was the first African-American:
- Graduate of LSU Law School
- Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- Juvenile Court Judge
- State Court of Appeals Judge (4th Circuit)
- Mayor
Morial defeated three white candidates in 1977 to win the city's top job. He won with 90% of the black vote and 20% of the white vote. Many white voters considered Dutch to be a "safe" candidate, because he was light-skinned and preferred to work from the inside for civil rights, litigating rather than demonstrating. He built a political machine that was strong enough to get his son, Marc, elected for two terms, in 1993 and 1997.
Dutch represents an interesting segment of the black community in New Orleans, the "Creoles." The Creole community has been on the forefront of civil rights issues in this country long before Dutch, as it was Homer Plessey's desire to ride in the "white" car of a train on the East Louisiana Railroad line. Plessey's great-grandmother was black, making him an "Octaroon," and by definition under Louisiana law, black. The resulting lawsuit legitimized the concept "separate but equal" public facilities.
There's a perception, most recently publicly vocalized by Spike Lee, that the black Creole community of New Orleans aren't "black enough." This view of the Creole community goes back throughout New Orleans' history. It's been romanticized in dozens of romance novels and films (most of which resemble the actual history of the city as much as Hollywood westerns represent the HBO series, "Deadwood"). While there is no doubt that many light-skinned black folks tried to "pass," it's totally unfair to tag the Creole families in general. The old-line black families of New Orleans became a community amongst themselves, particularly in the Third and Seventh Wards. The construction of I-10 along N. Claiborne Ave. in the 1970s broke up much of the feeling of community in those neighborhoods, and many families moved to other parts of town. There's still an element of "Creole society" in town, however, kept alive by black Carnival organizations and social clubs.
One of the best stories of Creoles in modern New Orleans was told on the television show, "Frank's Place," in 1987. The main character of the show, Frank (played by Tim Reid), returned to New Orleans after going to school and living "up north" to run the family restaurant. As a visible member of the black community, Frank was invited to join a black men's club. His staff at the restaurant derided the invitation to the "Capital C Club," because it was club of Creole men. To get in, you had to pass the "Schwegmann bag test." If you placed a brown grocery bag on your arm and your skin was darker, you didn't qualify. They were inviting Frank to be the "first black" in an all-black club! "Frank's Place" is by far the best show ever made in/about New Orleans. It's a shame it's not available on DVD.
In spite of the Plessey decision, Jim Crow laws, and the strong sentiment of racism that still exists in the city, New Orleans' Catholic cemeteries have always been integrated. Homer Plessey is buried just around the corner from Dutch in St. Louis #1. Dutch's tomb is next to the most well-known tomb in the cemetery, the one where Marie Laveau is reputed to rest.
Dutch's legacy is a positive one overall, in spite of his polarizing personality. After his death, the city named the massive convention center that was the backbone of the 1984 World's Fair after him. The Morial Convention Center is one of the most important components of the city's economy and a fitting tribute to one of our civil rights leaders.
Posted by YatPundit at January 21, 2008 12:20 PM