John McDonough represents one of the many connections between New Orleans and Baltimore. He created an endowment that funded many New Orleans Public Schools. That same endowment funded what would become a private school in Maryland.

He was born in Baltimore. He participated in shipping. A second trip to New Orleans convinced him to buy property here as well. He was a slaveowner in Louisiana. Oddly enough, he did teach some of his slaves to read and write (against Louisiana Law). He also freed (some?) slaves after 15 years of work and helped them move to Africa as freed people. Some didn’t go after being freed.

Today, a group of protesters toon down a statue to him, drug it to a truck, and dumped it in the river.

Not all heroes wear capes…