Louis A. Berry Institute for Civil Rights and Justice at SULC

Early voting for Louisiana’s special election begins tomorrow! We encourage everyone to exercise your right to vote early or on March 29th.

On the ballot are 4 amendments:
-Amendment 1 Allows the legislature to establish trial courts with limited or specialized jurisdiction, such as business courts, through a two-thirds vote

-Amendment 2 Revises state constitutional provisions governing tax policy and various state funds

-Amendment 3 Provides the state legislature with the authority to determine in state law which crimes can result in a juvenile being tried as an adult; removes list of crimes currently in the state constitution for which juveniles can be tried as adults

Amendment 4 Provides that judicial vacancies should be filled by calling a special election at the earliest available date pursuant to state law, rather than current law, which provides for calling a special election within 12 months after the day the vacancy occurs

Don’t sit this one out!

Celebrate Black History Month with us!
Go to our website and check out our Black History Month programming and videos that are great sources of education and uplift.

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

Celebrate The New Orleans Four Day!

On November 14, 1960, four little six-year-old girls in New Orleans rocked the nation and moved the world simply by doing what children do — go to school.

On that November morning sixty-three years ago, Leona Tate, Ruby Bridges, Gail Etienne and Tessie Prevost became the first African American children to integrate white-only schools in New Orleans.

Leona, Gail and Tessie enrolled at McDonogh 19 School at 5909 St. Claude Ave. in the Lower 9th Ward while Ruby enrolled at William Frantz School in the Upper 9th Ward.

Today, the women have worked with Diedra T. Meredith, creator and director of the independently produced 3-part docuseries film The New Orleans Four Legacy Project. Ms. Meredith has helped them to procure major national network television special features and collaborated with COMCAST NBCUniversal's "Voices of the Civil Rights Movement" to induct Leona, Tessie, and Gail.

Additionally, on November 14, 2020, the City of New Orleans partnered with The New Orleans Four Legacy Project to produce the Proclamation Day Ceremony at Gallier Hall to honor The New Orleans Four on the 60th anniversary of school desegregation in New Orleans and they also honored with a Key to the City from the office of Mayor LaToya Cantrell!

Lastly, join the Louis A. Berry Institute for Civil Rights & Justice at Southern University Law Center in their efforts to make NEW ORLEANS FOUR DAY a nationally recognized holiday on NOVEMBER 14TH by going to https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/make-new-orleans-four-day-a-national-holiday to sign the petition!