Linda's Blogspot

  The Shaping of New Orleans: Curves, Legends, and the Rhythms of the Crescent City ​From its geographic foundation along the winding Mississippi River to the storied streets and lakefront settlements that birthed American popular music, New Orleans is defined by its deep sense of place. The city’s unique geography has not only sculpted its layout and neighborhoods, but it has also provided the canvas for its rich cultural, musical, and social history. ​1. Why New Orleans is Called the "Crescent City" ​New Orleans earned its famous moniker, the Crescent City , due to the sharp, sweeping bend that the Mississippi River makes as it flows around the heart of the area. ​The Geography Behind the Name ​When French colonizer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, founded La Nouvelle-Orléans in 1718, he selected a stretch of elevated natural levee nestled directly inside a wide, sharp meander of the river. ​ The Original Crescent: The original settlement—what is now the...

  The Political Compromise: Relying on the Dixiecrats ​To pass his economic agenda through Congress, FDR was forced to navigate the complex dynamics of his own party. The Democratic coalition of the 1930s included northern liberals, urban unions, and conservative Southern segregationists, often referred to as "Dixiecrats." ​Because African Americans in the South were widely disenfranchised through poll taxes and voter suppression, Southern white politicians won reelection indefinitely. Under congressional rules, their long tenures earned them control over key leadership posts, including the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. ​With effective veto power over all federal legislation, Southern committee chairs demanded that New Deal programs protect the Southern racial caste system and maintain access to cheap agricultural labor. To secure their votes, the Roosevelt administration accepted major concessions that excluded Black workers from federal...

  Reimagining African Agriculture: The Story and Impact of Centre Songhaï in Benin ​Introduction ​In the heart of West Africa lies a pioneering experiment that has transformed into a globally recognized blueprint for sustainable living and agro-ecological development. Centre Songhaï (often referred to as Songhai Village or the Songhai Regional Center) is a fully functioning, self-sustaining eco-village, research hub, and agricultural incubator. Named after the historic 15th-century Songhai Empire to honor African ingenuity, self-reliance, and prosperity, the center demonstrates how ecological stewardship and economic growth can reinforce each other. ​Where Is It Located? ​Centre Songhaï is situated in Porto-Novo , the official capital city of Benin in West Africa, within the Ouando district along the Route de Ouando. It lies in the Ouémé Department, approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of Cotonou, Benin's primary economic hub. ​Beyond the main Porto-Novo complex, ...

  Environmental Films: Using Documentary to Educate, Inspire, and Build Communities Environmental films offer an opportunity to learn about the natural world, the challenges facing our planet, and the people working to protect the environment. Through documentaries, viewers can explore sustainable agriculture, forest conservation, environmental justice, traditional ecological knowledge, and community development. A film screening can be more than an opportunity to watch a documentary. It can become a gathering place where people exchange ideas, learn from one another, and consider how environmental knowledge can be applied in their own communities. For organizations interested in environmental education, sustainable agriculture, and community development, environmental films can be valuable educational resources. Where Can You Find Environmental Films? Several organizations specialize in environmental documentaries. Their collections cover subjects ranging from wildlife conservatio...

Carla Hall, African American food history, and the importance of Black farmers. The 2026 Black Farmers Urban Gardeners Conference at Dillard University in New Orleans - Keynote speaker  Carla Hall, African American Food History, and the Legacy of Black Farmers Food Is More Than What We Eat When we talk about African American food, we often think about soul food: collard greens, cornbread, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, fried chicken, and other familiar dishes. But there is a much larger story behind these foods. It is a story about African agricultural knowledge, Black farmers, cultural survival, entrepreneurship, and the passing of knowledge from one generation to another. Chef Carla Hall has helped bring this history to a wider audience through her cooking, television appearances, and cookbook, Carla Hall's Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration. In 2026, Hall will be the Black Farmers Urban Gardeners Conference Keynote Speaker. She will bring  her interest in African America...

The Songhaï Centre in Benin: An African Model of Sustainable Development In Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin in West Africa, an agricultural initiative has been demonstrating how farming, environmental sustainability, education, and entrepreneurship can work together. Known as the Songhaï Centre, this initiative offers an approach to development that connects food production with employment, resource conservation, and local economic growth. Established in 1985 by Godfrey Nzamujo, a Dominican priest and scientist, the Songhaï Centre was created to help Africans develop productive, sustainable economies using their own resources, knowledge, and skills. Rather than treating agriculture simply as the cultivation of crops, Songhaï developed an integrated system in which farming, livestock, fish production, food processing, and energy generation support one another. Its approach raises an important question: How can African communities use their land, natural resources, knowledge, and entrep...