Fall conjures lots of thoughts in our heads, not many of which come to fruition in the lingering summer doldrums of New Orleans. Our version of changing leaves translates to changing from our best white linen to our bawdiest black and gold. Cooler temperatures won’t settle in for another three months, so we settle for dining al fresco in slightly sub-90s temps (with the rare treat of still-lower humidity). While others are enjoying lush harvests of apples and pumpkins, we’re still trying to cram in the last Creole tomato salad or delightfully frozen snowball of the season. No – fall is not for the faint-hearted in New Orleans. Change comes slowly here.
That sluggish pace often leads to frustration. When we’re ready for change, we want it and we want it now. But as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We build momentum brick by brick, day by day, action by action. Through these small yet persistent disturbances, progress emerges.
I’m repeatedly reminded of that determination in this issue of Lagniappe. Our current leadership is making impressive strides, with diversity and inclusion front of mind to ensure the Junior League of New Orleans’ membership is fully representative of the community it serves. Despite a disappointing outcome in the Louisiana legislature on its first attempt, members have galvanized behind future efforts to pass a bill making diapers and period products tax-exempt to the benefit of women and children statewide. Ranked among the highest states for domestic abuse cases in the country, a dedicated coterie of female advocates created public policy shifts to protect abuse survivors and those most vulnerable to recurring intimate partner violence. These are the examples we should share with our family, friends and neighbors to prove that although sometimes change comes slowly, it can still overcome almost any barrier it its path.
When I was younger, my mother would often tell me the story of how she marched out for Women’s Hours during her college days at Louisiana State University. At that time, which was 1969, a curfew was set whereby women had to be back in their dorm rooms by 10 p.m. Their goal was to push that curfew all the way back … to midnight. Two hours is not a big change, but small steps and actions build momentum that leads to change.
Kristin W. Durand
Editor
