In other pages of this site the industrial quality improvement techniques espoused in Eli Goldratt's book The Goal are applied to different types of problems. Just how could they be applied to racial issues in New Orleans.

You need to start by defining the Goal. That might just bring this whole exercise to a rapid and unsuccessful conclusion:

• Everybody lives and works together as they see fit.  This option has not been tried.
  
• People maintain their own identities as they see fit  This has not been tried.
  
• Government treats everyone equally under the law but is otherwise colorblind. This has not been tried.
  
• Government treats some people as "special." This has been tried over and over again with the long term results we see. This approach is always popular because it is advantageous to a powerful few who get to be the "most special." (Read another book, Animal Farm if you missed the somewhat obscure reference.)

So what is the goal? What would people consider the optimal resolution to the race conflict in America today?

• No fear of interacting with people of other races just because I am different
  
• No cheating me just because I'm black/white and the corresponding virtue that people who lose out in a opportunity don't believe they have been cheated because of race.
  
• Equal opportunity to succeed or fail under law and custom
  
• Freedom to live my life the way I see fit
• No embarrassment of me or my family because of my race

If any or all of these choices sounds good it might be the goal. Until we understand and agree to the goal, it is hard to get behind the tactics.