I couldn't have said it better myself....

From the HNN Roundup board

Mark Naison: Every City Should Be a Chocolate City
Source: Communication to HNN, distributed via Dr. Naison's list. (1-19-06)
[Dr. Naison is Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University.]

When New Orleans Mayor Nagin said, in the course of a Martin Luther King Day speech, that New Orleans should remain a "chocolate city," the whole country jumped on him. So many people, inside New Orleans and out, accused him of being a racist that he had to apologize for his remarks.

Not me! I think his critics lack imagination! Chocolate is one of the great things in life, and I think every city should be a Chocolate City.

Think of all the different colors Chocolate comes in. There is white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate. Mix it with coffee and you get Mocha!

Chocolate is comfortable with contrast and irony: What tastes better than hot chocolate sauce on cold vanilla ice cream? What wakes you up faster and gets you ready for school or work than a Mocha Frappachino?

Chocolate is Funky! It smears on your fingers when you pick it up and sticks to your lips when you put it in your mouth There is nothing like kissing someone who has just eaten Chocolate! Its adds an element of decadence to the onset of romance!

Chocolate is adaptable. You can bake it, mold it, melt it, and sprinkle it; turn it into mouse or fudge, you can serve it hot or cold, you can eat it plain or mix it with nuts.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING!

CHOCOLATE FUDGE!

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!

Don't those get you excited? Make you happy?

Mayor Nagin may be a prophet before his time!

Every city should be a Chocolate City!

And of course, there's me... the chocolate covered nut....