‘Go home to New Orleans – you do Voodoo!’ say Houston slumlords and employers

by Eugenia Brown, LPN/LVN

Eugenia-Brown-family, ‘Go home to New Orleans – you do Voodoo!’ say Houston slumlords and employers, News & Views Lenwood Johnson [revered Houston activist] is trying very hard to assist me and my family, but he is the only one. Everyone else seems to have an it-is-not-my-problem attitude.

My daughter and granddaughter will be homeless if I can’t get the assistance that I need to correct these unfair situations that tenants are having to endure from slum landlords. And now myself and my son will be homeless also because we requested that the owners make necessary repairs to our unit or switch us to a better unit. Request denied.

The owner refused the rent for September that the City of Houston Homeless Prevention Program was paying. But he took the October rent and then filed an eviction.

The owner states that there are laws for people from New Orleans and for the people that are from Texas. They stated that they want me and my family to leave Texas and return to New Orleans because we do Voodoo.

Now tell me, do you think that is fair? Even my work has slowed. I had a position that was perfect and the salary was great, but when the individual inquired as to where I was from and I told him that I was from New Orleans, he called the agency and asked for a replacement.

He and his family said they were afraid of all New Orleans people because the people from New Orleans do spells and witchcraft and they had already had a member of their family that had a spell put on them and that family member never recovered. Now I’m seeking other work outside of my nursing career.

Also, we had just purchased a car and we were in the process of getting the required stickers and registration. The landlord had our car towed because we didn’t have the stickers. When I spoke to him, he told me he can do whatever he damn well pleases and if I did not like it, me and my voodoo family should return to New Orleans where we came from.

I’m not giving up. I’m trying to return to New Orleans, but with limited funds and both of my children having had nervous breakdowns because of all the mold in both apartments, we all have developed serious respiratory infections, with my 6-year-old granddaughter having the worst.

The stress is really something to deal with and I know that if I break, then my family unit will be no more. So all I can do is fast and pray and wait upon the LORD. I cannot lose the faith – no, not now – because what I’m fighting so hard for will benefit not just me and my family but will help others.

Please keep us and others that are enduring unfair treatment in your prayers. Also keep Lenwood Johnson in your prayers. He has given so much and he never seems to get tired of helping those that are in need. This is my calling to be an advocate for those that are not able to speak for themselves.

As I send this to you, I’m asking GOD for a miracle. My electric will be shut off soon and I only have $10. I really don’t know where the $100.57 is going to come from, but I will not lose my faith. I need my electric because my daughter and granddaughter are with me and my son. We go to county court on Nov. 29 because I filed an appeal on the eviction.

I have contacted everyone that I could, and no one wants to get involved or they are out of funds or they will tell me and my family just to let it go and return to New Orleans because Texas is their own country and no one will ever be able to change that.

Eugenia Michelle Brown, LPN/LVN, can be reached at jeannie_1256@yahoo.com or (832) 894-8671.