Louisiana Supreme Court Justices and Law Library of Louisiana pause to celebrate and give honor to Black History Month.
Here’s what they say
Unsung Heroes:
A Special De Novo Series
Greetings,
The Louisiana Supreme Court Justices and staff of the Law Library of Louisiana are pausing to celebrate and give honor to Black History Month. This is the final of four special Black History Month issues of De Novo, the newsletter of the Law Library of Louisiana, which will be distributed statewide by the Louisiana Supreme Court. Each issue will feature an “Unsung Hero” whose work, though less well known than others, nonetheless contributed to the progress of civil rights in Louisiana.
The first issue honored the first African American to serve as Lieutenant Governor in Louisiana as well as in the United States, Oscar James Dunn.The second issue covered the recent posthumous pardon of Homer A. Plessy, a pioneering civil rights activist. The third issue honored Avery C. Alexander, who represented New Orleans in the Louisiana House of Representatives, and was a major figure in the fight for equality.
This week’s honoree is Charles J. Hatfield, whose attempt to desegregate LSU’s law school led to the formation of Southern University Law Center. You may read the issue here: https://lasc.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=65680005.
The Law Library also unveiled a new exhibit entitled “Showdown in Plaquemines Parish” on the right to trial by jury and the right to choose your own counsel, based on the landmark cases of Duncan v. Louisiana and Sobol v. Perez.
Other Louisiana Supreme Court educational outreach initiatives can be accessed on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Press Room page under the Black History Month link.
