86 years of writin’ and fightin’

Eighty-six years ago, The Louisiana Weekly opened its door and began its unrelenting quest to ensure that people of color, the poor and others who have historically been locked out of the American Dream can receive justice, democracy and equal protection under the law across the U.S.

Over the course of more than eight decades, the publication has covered a myriad of issues and events affecting African America, including acts of domestic terrorism committed against people of color across the U.S., inequitable treatment in the workplace, segregation in the U.S. Armed Forces, the destruction of Black towns and businesses by white supremacists, the Tuskegee Experiment, the Historic Civil Rights Movement, the March on Washington, the Million Man March, Million Woman March and the passage of major civil rights legislation.

The paper has also made a conscious effort to chronicle and celebrate the milestones of Black families like births, weddings, anniversaries and funerals. We’ve used our paper to celebrate the courage and bravery displayed by the Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, Deacons for Defense and the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.

For many decades after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and Reconstruction, Blacks continued to struggle to survive and were forced to fend for and protect themselves by a government that often indifferent to their plight and sometimes openly hostile. Since 1925 we’ve been in the trenches fighting the good fight for truth, justice and equality.

The paper has captured the successes and told the stories of trailblazers, political pioneers and civil rights leaders and organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Rev. A.L. Davis, the Rev. Avery C. Alexander, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, Justice Revius Ortique, A.P. Tureaud Sr., Homer Plessy, Valena C. Jones, Dr. Felton G. Clark, Dr. Mack Spears, Dr. Rivers Frederick, Walter L. Cohen, Israel Augustine, Dorothy Mae Taylor, L.B. Landry, Albert Dent, Thomy Lafon, Alfred J. Lawless, Henriette Delille, Fannie C. Williams, and all the others who have paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today.

The Weekly has also told the stories of Blacks who were railroaded and vilified by the criminal justice system like Curtis Kyles, John Thompson and Shareef Cousin, all of whom were framed for murder by the powers that be and sentenced to die before ultimately fighting to have those convictions overturned. Each of us is our brothers and sisters’ keeper and protector. To that end, we will continue to do everything that is humanly possible to expose racial injustice, unfair business practices and policies that promote inequity and exploitation.

We’ve fought for better schools, safer streets, fair housing and access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

We’ve celebrated the successes of Black-owned businesses and organizations across the city, state and nation and advocated for laws and ordinances that give every citizen of this city, state and nation a fair shot.

More recently, The Louisiana Weekly has chronicled a series of world-changing events like the September 11 attacks, the destruction caused by levee breaks after Hurricane Katrina, the election of the nation’s first Black president and the creation of a memorial honoring the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall. We’ve also looked closely at the 200th anniversary of the historical 1811 slave revolt and the meaning it has for Black people in New Orleans and around the world.

While we’re proud of the work we have done since 1925 and appreciative of all the support we have received from our readers, The Louisiana Weekly also understands that much more work remains to be done and would like to enlist the support of all who read this to continue to join us to make this a better city, state and nation where all of us can reach our full potential regardless of race, gender, creed or nationality.

We thank our readers for all they have given this paper and hope that you will continue to join us on the battlefield as we fight to “secure the blessings of liberty” and justice for all.

This article was originally published in the September 19, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper