BROADCASTS.com

We hosted a conversation on this episode of Life Style Business with Mitch Landrieu, the former Mayor of New Orleans and the president of the https://www.unumfund.org/ (E Pluribus Unum), an initiative he founded to fulfill America’s promise of justice and opportunity for all by breaking down the barriers that divide us by race and class. He published a NYTimes editorial the day before our interview called https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/opinion/george-floyd-protest-racism.html (“The Price We Have Paid for Not Confronting Racism.”) The interview was an excellent primer, in particular for white Americans, to the national conversation that we are currently having around race in the wake of the protests against police brutality catalyzed by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. We know well with our work at Launch Pad that, in Mayor Landrieu’s words “talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not.” What is worth digging deeper to understand are the institutional constructs that have held back the progress of black Americans and people of color since the time of slavery. From redlining to gerrymandering to the militarization of police, structural racism is a reality in our country’s political, economic, health, and criminal justice systems. Mayor Landrieu helped Anne and I prepare for the conversation that several of our black Launch Pad members encouraged us to have earlier in the day as we explored how we could use our voice productively and where we can start. First a conversation with self Then a conversation with family Then a conversation with other white people Every conversation we have had over the past weeks has helped us be a bit better and become more aware of these structural prejudices in our society. I’m encouraged by how open the members of the Launch Pad community have been about their desire for these convenings and hope that we can help white Americans have an honest and open conversation about whether we are willing to continue to tacitly accept these injustices.  This isn’t simply about diversity on a panel at a tech conference, we need to have a heart-to-heart on where our values truly lie. These conversations are difficult, and its easy when you are in a position of privilege to start from a defensive stance, but as Mayor Landrieu reminded us “Nobody is blaming you for slavery.”  We may feel like we are seeking a return to normalcy, but “normal” is not the same for everyone. He reminds us that many black Americans experience isn’t what they seek a return to… “my normal was not good.” Reflecting on his conversation with Kareem Abdul Jabbar the day before, Mayor Landrieu shared the sentiment that “racism is like dust in the air” when you turn on the lights you see it’s everywhere.  Consider this, as a Launch Pad member challenged us to reflect upon: What if there had been no video of the killing of George Floyd?  The Black Lives Matter protests have turned on the lights in this country, and we are seeing the structural inequities that have existed for hundreds of years.   “This is our reality.”  It’s time for that to change. ==== Mitch Landrieu was the 61st Mayor of New Orleans taking office as the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and in the midst of the BP Oil Spill. Under his leadership, New Orleans is widely recognized as one of the nations greatest comeback stories.  He’s spent his life dedicated to public service winning recognition for his governing abilities and gaining national prominence for his powerful decision to take down four Confederate monuments in New Orleans, which also earned him the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.  He is the founder and president of the https://www.unumfund.org/ (E Pluribus Unum) fund with focus on the issues of race, equity, economic opportunity and violence and the author...