Louisiana Supreme Court Justices, judges throughout the state, the Law Library of Louisiana and court staff are observing Black History Month in February through civic education initiatives that call attention to African American contributions to history and the legal profession. These initiatives will emphasize and recount these contributions through interaction with local school students and special informational publications and displays that are available to the public.
As in years past, the Louisiana Supreme Court hosted students from Homer A. Plessy Community School for a book reading and Q&A session by the Justices, which was digitally recorded and shared with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) for distribution to elementary schools statewide.
In alignment with the ongoing Judges in the Classroom/Students in the Courtroom initiative, judges throughout the state will incorporate historical facts regarding prominent African Americans’ accomplishments and contributions to history during their presentations as they visit schools during Black History Month. The Judges in the Classroom/Student in the Courtroom initiative works year
round in partnership with the BESE and LDOE, as well as the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education, the Louisiana Commission on Civic Education, and judges’ organizational groups.
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer said, “As part of our continuing civic education initiatives, my Colleagues on the Supreme Court and judges throughout Louisiana consistently engage in creative ways to enlighten students and the community on the diverse contributions and accomplishments woven into the state’s justice system. Black History Month offers the opportunity to share African American achievements that may have historically been
overlooked and is a time to reflect on the development of the legal system that allows our diverse citizenry the liberties we enjoy today.”
Law Library of Louisiana Director Miriam Childs announced several additional educational outreach initiatives scheduled for February. They include four weekly special issues of the Law Library’s newsletter, De Novo, featuring: Louis A. Martinet, Thomas Morris Chester, Retired First Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Freddie Pitcher, Jr, and First Circuit Court of Appeal Chief Judge John Michael Guidry. Educational outreach initiatives can be accessed on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Press Room page under the Black History Month link.
Louisiana Supreme Court Mission: To preserve the integrity of the judiciary, to build and maintain public trust, to provide effective and efficient administration of justice in the Supreme Court, to ensure proper administration and performance of all courts under Supreme Court authority, and to ensure the highest professional conduct, integrity, and competence of the bench and bar.