Poverty and Wealth in New Orleans

By Albert Ruesga

Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org

‘Let not thy will roar, when thy power can but whisper.’
Dr Thomas Fuller

Wealthy donors are typically the lifeblood of a community foundation. These individuals and families draw their power from many of the institutions that define contemporary life in a capitalist society – not only financial institutions, but also the many laws, policies, electoral arrangements and even networks of formal and informal relationships that enable wealth to perpetuate wealth. It’s no wonder, then, that the affluent (and I include myself in this class) often want to preserve the status quo. Residents of low-income communities, by contrast, are far less eager to leave things as they are. From their perspective, what’s needed goes beyond a few changes around the margins. Society must shift in fundamental ways for justice to prevail.

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