In June 2018 I proudly became the first African American to hold the title of Executive Director of the ACLU of Louisiana in the organization’s 66-year history. During my tenure, the nation has reckoned with the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing global outcry for police accountability.
To celebrate our Black donors, this year the ACLU of Louisiana launched a first-of-its-kind Black Donor Network, a group of 30 African American supporters who work in philanthropy, education, public health, finance, law, and other fields, and range in age from late 20s to mid 70s.
After a long and tough 85 days, the 2022 Louisiana Legislative Session wrapped last month. While some bills passed threaten civil liberties, we are excited about the passage of bills that will help protect the rights of Louisianans, including two new laws that will advance police accountability.
On May 2, 2022, Politico published a leaked draft of the highly anticipated Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The draft majority opinion overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which has protected our Constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.
On November 18, 2021, at 7:00 p.m., assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice Kristen Clarke will speak at Dillard University’s annual Justice Revius O. Ortique Jr.
On October 4, 2021, our Executive Director Alanah Odoms delivered a video statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council urging President Biden to protect the health of the mostly Black residents of Louisiana’s River Parishes.