NEW ORLEANS RISING

   New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reacts after gay marriage was  legalized after a vote in the Senate Chamber at the Capitol  in Albany, N.Y., on Friday, June 24, 2011.      On June 24th  the New York State Senate  approved legislation for same sex marriages to be allowed. The vote was 33 for  to 29 against. New York becomes the largest state to approve same sex marriages. New York joins the ranks of Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, D.C. and the Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon. This is a huge victory for the lesbian and gay community. They have suffered through years of  waiting to be able to be married.  Now for those who want to be married to the same sex  New York becomes a beacon of hope.        One goal of every American politician and citizen is to strive for a more perfect union. It was with this in mind that on  January 1, 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued  an executive order  to free all the slaves. This order was to become known as the Emanc

  JC: How are you doing Ricky?  RG: Yeah,  ya know man I'm just glad to get my  feet on the ground.  Yeah, that was just a horrible experience man. JC: How did you end up in jail? RG: I went to register to vote and they said I had a warrant for my arrest in Jefferson Parish.  They told to go over this place here and next thing I know I'm being told I'm getting arrested for a warrant.  They didn't have no proper arrest or nothing, no Miranda rights or nothing.  They just swept me up like they was kidnapping me. JC: What you were thinking at that point? RG: Well, they brought me up to the arresting place and put me in central lock up. After that it seemed like I was gonna be there not to long so that I could see the judge. It wasn't gonna be too long cause I wasn't to far from the judge and all.  Well, they kept me in central lock up for 3 days. Then they sent me to the other jail to go to Jefferson parish jail.  After that it was another week

            Thank you all for your help and support for Spy Boy Ricky Gettridge.  It is because of your willingness to open your hearts and wallets Ricky is now free. Every single dollar counted. Whether you donated 600 dollars or 5 dollars it is all appreciated. We are still in need of of donations to pay the member of our community who loaned the fund to us. It is because of this member of our community we were able to pay the remaining amount so we could submit the necessary motions and petition to the judge for Ricky's release before Sunday. We accepted  the loan (which we need to pay back) because it takes the jail up to 48 hours to process an individual so that Ricky could be released. At Ricky's and a few of your requests, he was greeted with a tambourine, a pine apple Big Shot soda, and a snickers bars. Ricky came out of jail looking as sharp as ever. He had his hat, dark glasses and a huge smile on his face. Ricky is ready to get back to his family and friends he lo

      The plight of Spy Boy Ricky Gettridge is startling and shocking. What many would consider an once in a lifetime blindfolding of lady justice, others are all too familiar with. The content of  your wallet has more to do with how your treated in this country instead of the content of your character. Let's be honest  here. Do you think O.J. would've be set free if he was a shipyard worker from New Orleans? It's a continuous pattern in our country, our state, and our city.       The lower middle class and lower class are treated as a stepping stone for the upper middle class and the upper class in this society.  While you sit in your warm comfortable home and shake your head about what I'm talking about think for a second.  Many people look down on those who make less than they do. Can you imagine being in their shoes?       You've worked hard all your life to just get by. While your financial situation isn't the best

      Spy Boy Ricky Gettridge has always been a faithful usher to the people of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. If there is a second line going down there's a good  chance he's in it. If it's Super Sunday or Mardi Gras  you can best count on Ricky being there.  He has gifted us all with his presence, Indian suits, and tambourine for the past 50 years.  Ricky has masked and sown  with the Yellow Pocahontas Indian Tribe for several decades . Unfortunately, the only place Ricky finds himself right now is the guest of Jefferson Parish's  "Just Us" system.      In 2002 before Hurricane Katrina Ricky had to work to provide for his family. He found  employment with a construction company as a worker helping clean, rebuild,  and bring back parts of New Orleans.  Unknown to Ricky the checks he was receiving from this construction company owner were bad checks and fraudulent.  When it all went down in court later Ricky received 2 years in jail

           Dear Daughters,        When  you were  little I were there.  When I  held your  hand the first time you squeezed it. I stayed up late when mom had a night off.  I remember driving to Mississippi  with you asleep in the back  more times than anyone I ever knew. I was as excited to see you everyday after work as you were me.  Your the thrill of my life. Seeing  your little face pressed against the window was better than seeing the Saints win the Super Bowl. Your the spark in my soul and the note in every song I hear. There's nothing more you could do to make me prouder than by just being yourself.  When you fall down I relish every chance to pick you up. Your the reason I have a second childhood. We  drive your mother crazy. I'm that "other" child who should have  known better.  The chance to read to you at night made more excited about reading ever in my life. Your first day of school was the hardest day of my life. Your smiling face when you came home ma

    Bivian (Sonny) Lee III  (Founder/President)    Jeremy Boyce  (Chairman of Foundation)        This weekend coming up is Father's Day. A day which we give thanks for the man who has raised us. There are a number of us who had a father growing up. We all have friends who we grew up with who didn't have a father. I can't begin to imagine how incredibly hard this would be for any child. One of those kids who grew up without his father is Bivian (Sonny) Lee, III.  His father Bivian Lee was a New Orleans Saints defensive back from 1971 to 1975. He died tragically from a heart-attack at the age of 36. His son Bivian (Sonny) Lee III was 3 years old at the time.  Sonny with the help of his mother, family, and friends was fortunate enough to become a successful, and happy young man. Sonny, unfortunately has been the exception to the rule when it comes to growing up without a father. The odds are stacked against those young men and boys who find themselves in this

I recently had the good fortune to sit down with James Demaria.  James has just wrapped filming on his latest film Coney Island Jazz Funeral.  This film puts one of New York's oldest and most sacred historically sites in James view.  James' other film “ Treme Life ” is also about preserving that which is most sacred. James is rare in that he truly believes in what he is filming and why. In a world where artists and directors are more concerned about the bottom line , James is the exception. He infuses his artistic ability with his passion to deliver frame after frame of a living masterpiece. I remember watching an interview with Steven Spielberg. In it Mr. Spielberg explained it is his goal to make every shot with the film camera to be one with a still camera. I can firmly say without a doubt James Demaria has accomplished that. He could be in Hollywood working with big actors and making big money. Instead,  Mr. Demaria takes his talents to the people and shows them what his

                                            Picture By: Roy Guste      We don't apologize for the way we are or are going to be. We bring the party with us and the drama too. Our best attribute is us. Come good or bad we still shine. We turn our worst days into the best music and best art. We turn our broken hearts and tear into the world's best jazz. We turn our best days into what are dreams are made of. We know we offer something you can't get anywhere else in the world. We fuse art, music, food, and life into a experience that makes everyone come back for more. We live in a world full of all kinds of haters. Even, some live in our own city to boot. We know you think we belong back in the sea with our city. We know you'd rather us not live on your street. How many have times have we heard "Oh, they're from New Orleans"? Your damn right and we are proud of it.     We don't need anyone's approval to live the life we lea

     Here's the latest update from our friends at Marriott. My email from before specifically outlined the problem We had with them. I guess I will have to be more specific this next time.  Mr. Mccoy apparently thinks he can brush me off with this email. The method of payment was never in question. The problem we have is with the manager on duty having a problem with a member of the band having dreadlocks.  I'll post my response in a little while. I urge you to send them one as well.  On Jun 6, 2011 3:25 PM, "McCoy, Scott"  wrote: Mr. Calbos, Thank you for sharing your sentiments regarding Mr. Frazier's hotel  experience. Please understand it was Mr. Frazier's choice to stay elsewhere. Mr.  Frazier was attempting to check in to our hotel under our associate rate discount. At the time Mr. Frazier presented the associate discount form we shared that the form appeared slightly misprinted and we would  inquire with his property on his behalf to obtai

                             Vincent you're welcome in my house everyday     In an appalling show of ignorance last night Vincent Broussard was kicked out of his hotel. Oh, he must've been drunk right? No, well then he must have been acting the fool right? No, the only thing he was doing wrong was wearing his hair in dreads. He quietly and class-fully exited the The Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco Hotel . Why was he in San Fransisco? The Rebirth Brass Band is there to perform at the Benbow Jazz Fest. Part of the money coming from that festival is to help the struggling San Fransisco economy. Vincent may not have raised his voice, I can and will. The following letter has been sent on my behalf for Vincent for this severe display of prejudice. I encourage you to do the same. Dear Bill Marriott,       My friend Vincent Broussard recently tired to stay at your hotel in San Fransisco. Much to my shock, dismay, and complete disgust you asked him to leave because of

            Roughly  around 2, 000 BC a battle began to rage in the Middle East.  Fast forward 4,011 years and the battle rages on. In the span from 1991 until now America has been drawn into several wars. At times from a calculated distance it seems these have been necessary.   Saddam Hussein's reign of terror came to a quick halt when Bush I  dropped into Kuwait  and beat Hussein's regime back to Baghdad.  When Bin Laden dropped the Twin Towers we quickly made Al Qaeda run for the caves of Afghanistan. Very soon after that Bush II came up with some pictures (photo-shopped of course)  and turned Iraq into the most heavily armed desert in the world.          Beneath America's leaders demeanor of  concern is something darker, richer and more slippery  than a politician's answer, oil. A majority of the world's accessible oil lies underneath one of the most volatile regions.  Lucky for us our country's principles were founded on Christian doctrine and their coun