I am a 50-year old American. I am black, Roman Catholic, and Creole. This
is how I describe myself 50 years in the making. As a young boy growing UI
in the South, I was made to believe that I was different. Images of America
did not mirror me. The segregatedO South wanted me to believe that I was
inferior. The Catholic Church taught me that all of God's people were equal.
My French Creole heritage gave me a special bond to Native Americanso, to
Europeans, and to Africans. This is the composite portrait of who I am. I likt
who I am and can imagine being no other.
2 I'm an American. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, whose eleganc{
and exoticism" make it America's most European city and also its most
Caribbean. Natives call it the Big From its founding, New Orleans has
been a place that represents good times-the enjoyment of music, food, and
celebration.
3 I'm an African American. Just within my lifetime, people of African
ancestry have been called colored, Negro, black, and various derogatoryO
terms that I completely reject. I am proud to have been born black. My peop
paid a heavy price through toil and suffering to make America. Their
unparalleJedo creative contributions shaped American cultu