A Street Called Desire

And Other Street Names in My Neighborhood

As I matured and traveled about, I paid attention to the names of streets. I like to learn, observe, and absorb my surroundings. Part of that, for me, is learning the names of streets. Though convenient, using the GPS Global Positioning System makes the brain lazy. Consequently, I still study the names of streets. And in doing so, I have happily concluded that there are the same and similar names in many cities and other states. Courts, drives, driveways, parkways, and avenues within a neighborhood or metropolitan area have the same names. This is so fascinating to me. In the summer of 2022, while traveling in Paris with my middle son, Damion, and his family, I observed many names of streets, alleyways, neighborhoods, and subway stops. I wanted to learn as much as I could about this famous city. To my delight, but not surprisingly, there were many names with which I was pretty familiar. I’ve always known of the cultural and historical connection of Paris, France, and my home city, New Orleans. Seeing it with my own eyes was totally different.

A Street Called Desire and Other Names in My Neighborhood

I have always been in love with words and names. It became a pastime that was limitless and didn’t cost anything. This affection started many years ago, probably when I was learning to read. As my brothers, sisters, and I began walking to the grocery store, visiting our friends, and traveling outside the courtyard, it was a necessity. The layout and design of many of the courtyards were very similar, if not identical. To return home from a walk in the neighborhood or a bus ride outside our vast community, I had to learn to read and identify the street signs. Honestly, street sign reading became an obsession.

The street names in the new development located on what was once the Desire Housing Development are appropriately named after people who poured their lives into the advancement and quality of life of the residents of the Desire area. I will not try to call any because I do not know many of them. To walk through those streets, however, you will be given a history of the people who poured out their lives for the progress of Desire. The most notable name in the area is actually one that involved the renaming of Louisa St. The name is that of a very deserving son of Desire, Johnny Jackson, Jr. Many of us witnessed as well as benefitted from his many contributions to the Desire Community, the city of New Orleans, and the entire state of Louisiana. I am proud to have been privy to the many. Mr. Jackson’s contributions and advancements to Desire and the many others.

The names of the previous streets were street names from the surrounding area that were just extended to the development. Fortunately, the street names are more relatable and traceable for the residents of the current development. We grew up reading names like Piety, Pleasure, Benefit, Abundance, Alvar, Higgins, Industry, Pauline, and Desire. These names only sometimes coincide with the life conditions of the residents after opportunities afforded by racial integration are revealed. I was shocked to see my home in one of the textbooks in my freshman sociology class at Tulane University. It was quite eye-opening. But as a deep-thinking teenager, I had begun to think of them as misnomers. I tried to reconcile them with the situations many of us lived in. Some days became more difficult than others.

My mother lived at 3411 Pleasure St., apartment B. And, as a child, I enjoyed the pleasures of Desire: pralines, frozen cups, constant camaraderie, and neighbors who loved me like family. Often, I would walk to the project office to pay our rent. This was a learning experience for me because I learned without being directly taught that my mother’s rent was based on her income. Everyone didn’t pay the same to live in a three-bedroom apartment. In the course of this transaction, I encountered the residents of Benefit St. I started connecting the dots, so to speak. The street was Benefit, so some benefits and advantages had to be. I began to realize the benefits of being raised in a community with large numbers of people in such close proximity. The people themselves possessed such gifts and talents. There were resources one might have needed to have had within reach had there not been so many human capabilities. Truly, we had the Benefit of a loving, nurturing neighborhood with countless examples of positive role models.

Abundance was one of the streets in our development. I liked it so much for many reasons. Because I lived in what was considered the back of Desire, the street, Abundance, always intrigued me. I only walked past it when the bus was delayed. It was about a mile walk from my house. During the walk, I encountered many activities and people with whom I would only interact occasionally. It was like traveling to another city. My aunt and cousins lived on Alvar St., near Abundance. That was another source of intrigue for me. Abundance St. was a section that appeared to accommodate large families with four-bedroom apartments. There was certainly an abundance of children in that area. It was filled with so much activity, endless energy, and loud sounds. Yes, Abundance, it certainly was!

The names of our streets represented a number of different things to us. After many years, it became apparent that there were some systemic issues in the area that the street names defied. But, honestly, they embodied the very essence of the heart of the community in which I lived. Years of neglect changed the narrative for some. But the meaning of the word, Desire, conjures up the thoughts, perspectives, ambitions, and visions of the residents of the entire Desire community. Their Desire to achieve led to actions that resonated around the world. I will never forget my life in Desire and the experiences that the streets of Pleasure, Benefit, Abundance, Piety, and Desire taught me.

Winnifred Magee

By Winnie

Summer Fun: An Essay for A Place Called Desire

It is hard, as well as unfair, to stereotype, or form generalities, concerning the summers of families in the Desire area. Because the Desire Housing Development was an unusually large housing complex, surrounded by many single family homes, it housed various family types. Consequently, summers were as varied as the types of families occupying the area. My family, for example, was headed by a single mother which meant she had to work all summer.

the Anderson clan — Deborah Walter-Anderson, Winnifred Walter-Anderson, and Torea Walter-Anderson

Our summers were not determined by what she planned, exactly. They went according to the opportunities that were afforded us. My grandmother’s house in south Baton Rouge was one of the opportunities Mama’s budget allowed for. My grandmother was always willing to help my mother with her children. She had a small house, but a great big heart. She loved her grandchildren with all of her heart. We only stayed there for a couple of weeks. And sometimes she would come to New Orleans and babysit us. She baked the best tea cakes. We were always willing to share our tea cakes with our friends. But visiting Big Mama was way better than her visiting us. We were able to see our entire family when we vacationed in Baton Rouge. There was nothing better than hanging out with my cousins and visiting my aunts and uncles.

Visits from cousins was another preoccupation during the summer months. Whenever anyone or any family had cousins from out of town or from just uptown, it was an exciting time. A different face, walk, talk, or laugh was extremely fascinating. The teens in the neighborhood had a new summer crush. The new person represented someone to impress, fall in love with or envy. All emotions were heightened during the summer with the influx of new faces. My cousins did not disappoint. They were pretty. They were handsome. They were funny and quirky, or at least that’s how they appeared to my Desire friends. And they were just as eager to fall in love with my friends. Summers were indeed a blast because of their visits. This was also a time to show off our neighborhood games. These games were played all over the city but, of course, every neighborhood and in some cases, courtyards changed the rules of the games. These games included such games as, Jacks, Chicago In, Fly In, Cool Can, Horse Shoes, Marbles, (Ice) Pick, Hop Scotch and Jump Rope, just to name a few. We spent hours playing these low budget games. They were all inclusive. There was no age, height or gender requirement, or limit. Specific skill sets were not required. Personal preferences were always a deciding factor in the formation of teams, but played a minimal role in the overall playing of the games.

There were some fortunate families in Desire who were able to travel out of town. It goes without saying that these families were fortunate enough to have two-parent homes; their father worked, and they usually owned a car. Throughout the United States, especially in the South, Blacks were restricted in their travel by racist laws and practices. This impacted summer travel plans even for families who could afford to travel. Other children were able to attend camps sponsored by organizations such as Boys and Girls Scouts, and religious organizations. There were neighborhood sports teams that entertained the community several days a week. These included girl’s softball and sandlot sports. My sister, Deborah, was a dynamic softball player.

Finally, the schools offered children some form of support during the long summer months. Summers were used for academic remediation and enrichment. Conscientious teachers thought it important to send home supplemental materials (usually discarded or outdated books.) Many parents could not afford products that would assist their students in school or to insure that previously learned information and skills would not be lost. So many families were blessed by teachers who were forward thinkers. Summer was not just a time for playing but also for continued learning.

Winnifred A. Magee

By Leonard

The STORY Behind The STANDOFF

September 15, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the shootout between the Black Panthers and the New Orleans Police Department. The STORY Behind The STANDOFF was revisited by WWLTV Charisse Gibson and Adam Copus.

To read more of the story click here: 50 years ago the Black Panthers and New Orleans police had a major standoff in Desire

By Larry

Food for Thought

Woke up This Morning Thinking About That ” Place Called Desire ” // It’s A Phenomenon! What A Great Experience It Was! And It’s Still Going Strong!

“A Place Called Desire”

First Impression, Circa 1956/1961 // The Desire Projects Was A Pristine Facility, Inside And Out // The Inside Boasted Clean, Comfortable Rooms, A Huge Space Heater, And Shinny Hard Wood Floors // The Outside Was Just As Immaculate, With Well Trimmed Lawns And Hedges // At That Point And Time, It Was As Good A Place To Live For A Poor Family, As Any Place In New Orleans!

Circa 1957/1961, A Different World // First Of All, The Louisa Bus Only Went As Far As Pleasure St. And Turned Back! Unless You Had A Car, From That Point, You Either Walked Or Hitch Hiked! On Another Note, Most Of The Professional Jobs Were Held By White Folks // Policemen, Firemen, Bus Drivers And Even Garbage Collectors // Like I Said, It Was A Different World!

Circa 1957/1961 // In Need Of An Emergency Exit // Before The Interstate And Before The Alvar And Almonaster Bridges, There Were No Other Way Out Of The Projects, When You Were Trapped By A Train At Florida Ave. And In Gentilly! Fire Trucks And Police Could Not Get In Or Out, Not To Mention If You Were Trying To Get To The Hospital! Sometimes It Was Scary!

Circa 1957/1969, Kid-Stuff // Not Knocking The Kids Of Today, But When It Came To Playing, We Were More Creative, And Kept Ourselves Busier! When We Weren’t Running Errands Or Doing Chores, We Were Playing Hop-Scotch, Marbles, Jacks, Pick, Jump Rope, Spinning Tops, Card Games, Koon-Can, Racing, Or Flying Kites, Not To Mention, Skating And Riding Bikes // Morning, Noon, And Night, We Always Seemed To Be Doing Something!

Larry “Shine” Washington