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2ew ,rleans +as always 'een a ty t+at l"ed on t+e edge. T+e w+te 'lues &an+&self) Tennessee #lla&s) +ad t down n A $treetar 2a&ed Desre - wt+Elysan elds and e&eteres and t+e 9uest for %aradse. #+en you l"e so loseto deat+) 'e+nd t+e le"ees) you l"e &ore ntensely) sexually) gastrono&ally)%sy+ologally. Lous Ar&strong a&e out of t+at un'ele"a'le ultural

'reat+roug+ un%reedented n t+e +story of A&eran "lsaton. T+e rural'lues) t+e ur'an 8a. t s t+e trag-o& lyrs& t+at g"es you t+e ourageto get t+roug+ t+e darest stor&.

C+arle 7arer would +a"e lled so&e'ody f +e +ad not 'lown +s +orn. T+e+story of 'la %eo%le n A&era s one of un'ele"a'le reslene n t+e faeof rus+ng w+te su%re&ast %owers.

T+s nd of dgnty n your struggle uts 'ot+ ways) t+oug+) 'eause t doesnot &o'lse a ollet"e u%rsng aganst t+e eltes. T+at was t+e Bla7ant+er &o"e&ent. ou %ro'a'ly need 'ot+. T+ere would +a"e 'een no 7ant+erswt+out 8a. f +ad 'een of artn Lut+er 1ngs generaton would ne"er

+a"e gone to ar"ard or 7rneton.

T+ey s+ot 'rot+er artn dead le a dog n (6= w+en t+e &o'lsaton of t+e'la %oor was 8ust gettng started. At least one of +s sur""ng legaes wast+e 9uadru%lng n t+e se of t+e 'la &ddle lass. But ,%ra+ :#nfrey; t+e'llonare and t+e 'la 8udges and +ef exeut"es and &o"e stars do not&ean e9ualty) or e"en e9ualty of o%%ortunty yet. Bla faes n +g+ %laesdoes not &ean ras& s o"er. Condoleea Fe +as sold +er soul.

2ow t+e 'la 'ourgeose +a"e an e"en +ea"er o'lgaton to fg+t for t+e 33%erent of 'la +ldren l"ng n %o"erty - and to alle"ate t+e s%rtual

rss of +o%elessness a&ong young 'la &en.

Bus+ tals a'out God) 'ut +e +as forgotten t+e %ont of %ro%+et C+rstantys o&%asson and 8uste for t+ose w+o +a"e least. %-+o% +as t+e anger t+ato&es out of %ost-ndustral) free-&aret A&era) 'ut t las t+e%rogress"eness t+at %rodues organatons t+at wll t+reaten t+e status 9uo.T+ere +as not 'een a gant sne 1ng) so&eone %re%ared to de and reate annsurgeny w+ere &any are %re%ared to de to u%set t+e or%orate elte. T+eDe&orats are s%neless.

T+ere s t+e danger of n+ls& and n t+e $u%erdo&e around t+e fourt+ day)t+ere t was - +us'ands +eld at gun%ont w+le t+er w"es were ra%ed) so&eonesto&%ed to deat+) %eo%le t+rowng t+e&sel"es off t+e &eanne floor) doens of'odes.

t was a war of all aganst all - youre on your own - n t+e entre of t+e A&erane&%re. But now t+at t+e ad s %ourng n) "tal as t s) do not onfuse +arty wt+8uste. & not asng for a re"oluton) a& asng for refor&. A ars+all 7lan for t+e$out+ ould 'e t+e frst ste%.

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Dr Cornel #est s %rofessor of Afran A&eran studes and relgon at 7rneton!n"ersty. s great grandfat+er was a sla"e. e s a ra% artst and a%%eared asCounsellor #est n atrx Feloaded and atrx Fe"olutons.

nter"ew 'y oanna #alters) n 7rneton) 2ew ersey

Ba to LEGL 4500/6500 o&e 7ageBa to Dr. B-AHs o&e 7age

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