Over 250 People Attend Action on Education, Blight, and Nuisance Businesses at St. Peter Claver

Hundreds attend St.Peter Claver Action

September 27, 2011

On September 26, 2011, almost 300 people attended an action hosted by Micah's member congregation, St. Peter Claver Catholic Church.  The Micah leaders put forth direct asks to the John White, the superintendent of the Recovery School District, which is the body that manages the majority of New Orleans' public schools.  The asks focused on ensuring that the St. Peter Claver community would have meaningful input in the decision of which charter operator would manage Phillis Wheatley, the neighborhood public school currently being rebuilt, to which Mr. White agreed. 

St. Peter Claver hopes that its victories will serve as a template for other communities; to this end, Mr. White also committed to working with St. Peter Claver to develop a multi-session training to help other neighborhoods have a voice in which charter operator will be assigned to their neighborhood schools. 

Micah leaders also engaged Councilwoman Guidry, Councilwoman Palmer, and Jeff Hebert, the director of New Orleans' Office of Blight and Community Revitalization, about blight and nuisance businesses and how they contribute to crime and overall have a harmful effect on the community's quality of life.