Charity Hospital Baby. Charity Hospital, Baby.

I can't believe I waited this long, but on Monday, I finally went to a second line. What is that you ask? It's pretty awesome, is what it is--brass bands leading a parade of people wearing crazy outfits and carrying feathered umbrellas and selling beer out of wagons, exuding energy. A second line is giant dance party in the street.

Second-lining comes from the traditional New Orleans jazz funerals--it's basically the crowd dancing behind the official funeral procession (second in line) without necessarily having an actual body to follow. Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs organize them for all kinds of occasions, so I'm told you can find one every week if you look, commemorating or honoring someone or something. I missed one earlier this summer in memorial of Michael Jackson.

Check out this awesome video (Let Me Do My Thang: Rebirth Brass Band, by Keith Reynaud, Jr.) to see and hear both the dancing/music and some of the history (do it, it's really good! Last night I saw Rebirth perform at the Maple Leaf, they show it!).

The second line that I went to was to "Save Charity Hospital!" I don't know all the details, but the debate about the hospital is an interesting piece of public policy. A teaching hospital affiliated with LSU, Charity Hospital traditionally was the hospital that served -everyone-, i.e. it was willing to take those without health insurance. As a result, it has a historical/cultural place in the hearts of many city residents. Its evacuation after Hurricane Katrina made national news, and afterwards it was never reopened. Once a fairly attractive art-deco tower of poured-concrete, it now looks kind of sad--dark windows, green and brown stains on the concrete, a family of cats standing guard at the old back entrance. The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed it as one of "America's Most Endangered Places" in 2008.

There are plans, however, to rebuild. But here's the catch--the powers that be (LSU and the city) are looking to demolish several square blocks of homes and businesses (a la eminent domain, which pretty much nobody likes) to build a new facility--right next to the old one!--instead of renovating or rebuilding on the original site. There must be some rationale behind this plan, but I'm pretty skeptical. Frankly, it sounds asinine. Eventually somebody is going to have to renovate or demolish the old building anyway--or were they planning on setting it aside as a permanent home for the city's feral cat population?

So the "Second Line to Save Charity Hospital" served two purposes: first, to express both the importance of Charity Hospital to the community and the desire to see it reopened, and secondly, the outrage of the home and business owners who would be forced to relocate. I saw many "Charity Hospital Baby" signs with arrows pointing to the individual who held it, as well as a few "Hands off Our Homes." Overall, the event seemed to be a success--great turnout, awesome music by the Hot 8 Brass Band and Rebirth Brass Band, lots of fun.

But I have to wonder what kind of impact a parade where everyone is having a great time can actually have on the powers that be.

A second line is not an angry march on village hall, it is not picketing or chanting, and it is pretty much the opposite of a hunger strike. There was no outrage, no anger, no heart-wrenching pleas or forceful demands--despite the messages on the signs people carried, the atmosphere was really festive. Joyous, even. From a community organizing perspective, I feel like a second line is great to get people excited and draw some attention from the public, but if it stops there, then I am not so sure it can have much impact on people at city hall who are currently holding all the cards.

Is it just a party, or is it a protest? To accomplish something, shouldn't that distinction be a little more clear?