The
Louisiana
Legislative
Black
Caucus
(LLBC)
was
established
in
1977.
The ten
founders
of LLBC
were
Rev.
Avery C.
Alexander,
Diana E. Bajoie,
Sidney
Barthelemy,
Louis
Charbonnet,
III,
Nick
Connor,
Joseph
A.
Delpit,
Alphonse
Jackson,
Johnny
Jackson,
Jr.,
Thomas
Jasper,
and
Richard
Turnley,
Jr.
The
number
of
African-American
legislators
has
increased
tremendously
since
the
inception
of the
LLBC.
This
growth
is
attributed
to the
LLBC's
legislative
skill
and
wisdom.
For
example,
the
Black
Caucus
successfully
passed
reapportionment
legislation
in 1983
and
1990,
which
established
more
African-American
legislative
districts,
thus
allowing
for the
election
of more
African-American
representatives
and
senators.
Currently
the
Louisiana
Legislature
has
thirty-two
(32)
African-American
members
consisting
of nine
(9)
senators
and
twenty-two
(23)
representatives.
Beyond
reapportionment,
the LLBC
has made
other
major
accomplishments,
which
include:
-
Expanding
voting
rights
-
Enhancing
historically
Black
colleges
and
universities
-
Recasting
employment
opportunities
in
the
work
place
-
Eliminating
Jim
Crow
laws
-
Increasing
minority
business
opportunities
-
Fighting
against
apartheid
in
South
Africa
-
Helping
Louisiana's
indigent
families
through
expanding
educational
and
economic
opportunities
and
access
to
adequate
healthcare
-
Developing
drug
rehabilitation
programs
-
Proposing
laws
with
tougher
penalties
to
fight
the
increasing
crime
rate
-
Assisting
African-American
Louisiana
farmers
and
landowners
-
Fighting
against
abolishing
affirmative
action
and
minority
set-asides
-
Opposing
the
elimination
of
one
of
Louisiana's
two
majority
African-American
congressional
districts
-
Opposing
the
unfair
mandate
that
requires
only
public
high
school
students
to
pass
an
exit
exam
as a
prerequisite
to
being
awarded
a
diploma
Long
before
the LLBC
was
formally
organized,
African-Americans
served
in the
state
legislature.
In 1968,
Ernest
"Dutch"
Morial,
a New
Orleans
attorney,
was
elected
to the
House of
Representatives.
As the
first
African-American
legislator
since
Reconstruction,
he paved
the way
for
other
African-Americans
to
travel
the hard
road to
Baton
Rouge.
Before
his term
expired,
he
sought
and won
a seat
as a
judge in
New
Orleans
Juvenile
Court. A
special
election
was held
to fill
his
unexpired
term in
1971,
which
resulted
in the
election
of
Louisiana's
first
African-American
female
legislator,
Dorothy
Mae
Taylor,
a New
Orleans
community
leader.
In the
immediate
years to
follow,
other
African-American
leaders
were
elected
to the
Louisiana
Legislature.
In 1972,
Alphonse
Jackson
of
Shreveport;
Richard
Turnley,
Jr. and
Johnnie
Jones of
Baton
Rouge;
and
Johnny
Jackson,
Jr.,
Theodore
Marchand,
Louis
Charbonnet,
III, and
Nick
Connors,
all of
New
Orleans
were
elected
to the
House of
Representatives.
In
addition,
Dorothy
Mae
Taylor
was
successful
in her
bid for
reelection.
In 1976,
Johnnie
Jones
lost his
bid for
reelection
and
Theodore
Marchand
did not
seek
reelection,
but more
African-Americans
won
seats.
Joseph
Delpit
of Baton
Rouge
and
Thomas
Jasper,
Rev.
Avery C.
Alexander,
and
Diana E.
Bajoie
of New
Orleans
were
elected
to the
House of
Representatives.
Sidney
Barthelemy
of New
Orleans
was
elected
to the
Senate,
earning
a place
in
history
as the
first
Black to
serve in
the
Senate.
In
addition,
Senator
Barthelemy
became
the
first
chairman
of the
LLBC in
1977.
In 1978,
Henry
Braden
of New
Orleans
completed
Barthelemy's
term
when
Barthelemy
won an
at-large
seat on
the New
Orleans
City
Council.
Richard
Turnley
was
elected
as
LLBC's
second
chairman.
In 1980,
Charles
D. Jones
of
Monroe
and Jon
Johnson
of New
Orleans
were
elected
to the
House.
In
addition,
William
J.
Jefferson
of New
Orleans
won a
bid for
the
Senate.
Furthermore,
in 1982
Lee
Frazier
of New
Orleans
was
elected
to the
House of
Representatives.
In 1984,
Lee
Frazier
did not
seek
reelection
and
Louis
Charbonnet
and Nick
Connors
lost
their
bids for
reelection.
Willie
J.
Singleton
of
Shreveport;
Wilford
D.
Carter
of Lake
Charles;
Melvin
Irvin,
Jr. of
Gonzales;
Charles
R. Jones
and
Arthur
A.
Morrell
of New
Orleans;
and
Jewel J.
Newman
and
Louis
Jetson
of Baton
Rouge
were
elected
to the
House of
Representatives.
Louis
Jetson
later
died
shortly
after
taking
office
and his
son,
Raymond
A.
Jetson,
was
elected
to
complete
his late
father's
term.
Also in
1984,
Richard
Turnley
was
elected
to the
Louisiana
Senate
and
William
J.
Jefferson
was
reelected.
Dennis
R.
Bagneris
of New
Orleans
and
Gregory
W.
Tarver
of
Shreveport
were
elected
to the
Senate.
Joseph
A.
Delpit
was
elected
Speaker
Pro
Tempore
of the
House of
Representatives.
William
Jefferson
then
became
LLBC's
third
chairman.
In 1986,
Representative
Johnny
Jackson,
Jr. was
elected
to the
New
Orleans
City
Council
and
Naomi
(Warren)
Farve
was
elected
to
complete
his
unexpired
term.
Representative
Jon D.
Johnson
was
elected
to the
Senate
and
Sherman
N.
Copelin,
Jr. was
elected
to
complete
his
unexpired
term in
the
House of
Representatives.
In 1988,
Richard
Turnley
and
Jewel J.
Newman
were not
reelected.
Instead,
Cleo
Fields
of Baton
Rouge
was
elected
to the
Senate
and both
Melvin
"Kip"
Holden
of Baton
Rouge
and Irma
Muse-Dixon
of New
Orleans
were
elected
to the
House of
Representatives.
In 1989,
Dennis
Bagneris
of New
Orleans
became
the
fourth
chairman
of the
LLBC.
Charles
D. Jones
of
Monroe
was
elected
the
LLBC's
fifth
chairman
in 1990.
In 1991,
William
J.
Jefferson
was
elected
to the
United
States
Congress
from the
Second
Congressional
District.
Diana E.
Bajoie
of New
Orleans
replaced
Jefferson
in the
Louisiana
Senate,
thus
becoming
the
first
Black
woman to
be
elected
to the
Senate.
Renee'
Gill
Pratt
was then
elected
to the
House of
Representatives
to
complete
Bajoie's
unexpired
term.
In 1992,
Charles
D. Jones
of
Monroe,
Marc H.
Morial
of New
Orleans,
and
Donald
Cravins
of Grand
Couteau
were
elected
to the
Senate.
John M.
Guidry
of Baton
Rouge
replaced
Joseph
A.
Delpit,
who did
not seek
reelection,
in the
House.
Willie
Hunter,
Jr.
replaced
Charles
D. Jones
in the
House.
Additionally,
Edwin R.
Murray
of New
Orleans
filled
Charles
R.
Jones'
unexpired
term in
the
House
after
Jones
was
elected
as Judge
of the
5th
Circuit
Court of
Appeals.
Roy
Quezaire
replaced
Melvin
Irvin,
Jr. of
Gonzales.
Also
elected
in 1992
from
newly
created
House
districts
were
Pinkie
C.
Wilkerson
of
Grambling,
Dr.
Charles
I.
Hudson
of
Opelousas,
Wilfred
Pierre
of
Lafayette,
Dr. C.
O.
Simpkins
of
Shreveport,
Israel
B.
Curtis
of
Alexandria,
Sharon
Weston
of Baton
Rouge,
David
Armstrong
and Troy
A.
Carter
of New
Orleans
and Kyle
M. Green
of
Marrero.
In 1992,
Senator
Dennis
Bagneris
became
the
first
African
American
President
Pro
Tempore
of the
Louisiana
Senate
and
Sherman
N.
Copelin,
Jr.
became
the
second
African
American
Speaker
Pro
Tempore
of the
Louisiana
House of
Representatives.
In 1993,
Cleo
Fields
was
elected
to the
U. S.
Congress
from the
4th
Congressional
District
and
Representative
John M.
Guidry
filled
Field's
vacant
seat in
the
Louisiana
Senate.
Yvonne
(Dorsey)
Welch
was then
elected
to
complete
Guidry's
term in
the
House.
In
addition,
Paulette
R. Irons
filled
Irma
Muse-Dixon's
vacant
House
seat
after
Muse-Dixon
was
elected
to the
Louisiana
Public
Service
Commission.
Mr.
Elcie
Guillory
of Lake
Charles
was
elected
to
replace
Wilford
Carter
in the
House
after
Carter
was
elected
as a
district
judge.
After
David
Armstrong
of New
Orleans
served
just a
small
portion
of his
term,
Cynthia
Willard-Lewis
was
elected
to
complete
his
unexpired
term.
In 1994,
Senator
Marc
Morial
was
elected
Mayor of
New
Orleans
and
Representative
Troy
Carter
was
elected
to the
New
Orleans
City
Council,
thus
creating
two
vacancies.
Paulette
R. Irons
replaced
Marc
Morial
in the
Senate
and a
non
African-American
was
elected
to fill
her
vacant
seat. A
non
African-American
was also
elected
to fill
Troy
Carter's
seat.
Also,
Senator
Diana E.
Bajoie
was
elected
as the
sixth
chairman
of the
LLBC,
thus
becoming
the
first
female
chairman
of the
Caucus.
In 1996,
Ernest
Baylor
was
elected
to fill
the
House
seat
formerly
occupied
by
Willie
Singleton,
who did
not seek
reelection.
Cedric
B.
Glover
was
elected
to fill
the
house
seat
left
vacant
by Dr.
C. O.
Simpkins,
who ran
for
another
office.
Wilson
Fields,
brother
of Cleo
Fields,
was
elected
to the
Senate
filling
a seat
left
vacant
by a non
African-American.
Dennis
R.
Bagneris
was
elected
to his
second
term as
President
Pro
Tempore
of the
Senate
and
Raymond
A.
Jetson
was
elected
as the
Black
Caucus’
seventh
chairman.
In 1997,
Sen.
John
Guidry
was
elected
as
judge,
thereby
creating
a
vacancy
in the
Senate.
Former
U.S.
Congressman
Cleo
Fields
was
elected
to fill
the
remaining
term of
Sen.
Guidry.
Also,
Sherman
N.
Copelin,
Jr. was
elected
as
LLBC’s
eighth
chairman
in 1997
and was
re-elected
to serve
additional
terms in
1998 and
1999.
In 1998,
Senator
Dennis
Bagneris
was
elected
as judge
to the
Fourth
Circuit
Court of
Appeals.
Lambert
Boissiere,
Jr. was
elected
to
complete
his term
in 1999.
Also in
1999,
Rev.
Avery
Alexander,
one of
the
Caucus’
founding
members,
died
following
the LLBC
Community
Outreach
Tour.
Sherman
N.
Copelin,
Jr. and
Naomi
Farve
lost
their
bids for
reelection
and Rep.
Danny
Mitchell
and
Raymond
A.
Jetson
did not
seek
reelection.
During
1999
elections,
Karen
Carter
of New
Orleans
was
elected
to Rev.
Alexander’s
vacant
seat;
Leonard
Lucas
and
Cedric
Richmond
replaced
Sherman
Copelin
and
Naomi
Farve,
respectively;
Lydia
Jackson
of
Shreveport
filled
Danny
Mitchell’s
seat and
Michael
Jackson
of Baton
Rouge
replaced
Raymond
Jetson.
Senator
Cleo
Fields
was
elected
as Black
Caucus’
ninth
chairman.
In 2000,
Rep.
Pinkie
Wilkerson
of House
District
11 died
in
office
and Rep.
Richard
"Rick"
Gallot
of
Ruston,
Louisiana
was
elected
to
complete
her
unexpired
term.
Also, in
2000
Rep.
Cynthia
Willard
of House
District
100 was
elected
to the
New
Orleans
City
Council
and
former
Saints
player,
Patrick
“Pat”
Swilling
was
elected
in 2001
to
complete
the
remainder
of the
term. In
addition,
Rep.
Arthur
Morrell
was
elected
as the
LLBC’s
tenth
chairman.
In the
fall of
2001
Sen.
Wilson
Fields
was
elected
as Judge
to the
Nineteenth
JDC in
Baton
Rouge
thereby
creating
a
vacancy
in
Senate
District
15. Rep.
Melvin
“Kip”
Holden
was
elected
to fill
the
remaining
term of
Sen. W.
Fields.
In a
special
election,
Avon R.
Honey
was
elected
to fill
the
vacancy
created
by Rep.
Holden
in House
District
63.
In 2002,
Rep.
Renee
Gill
Pratt of
House
District
91 was
elected
to the
New
Orleans,
City
Council
thereby
creating
a
vacancy
in House
District
91. In a
special
election
Rosalind
Peychaud
was
elected
to fill
the
remaining
term of
Rep.
Pratt.
In 2003,
Sen. Jon
D.
Johnson,
Reps.
Leonard
Lucas,
Rosalind
Peychaud
and
Patrick
“Pat”
Swilling
all of
New
Orleans,
lost
their
bids for
re-election
and Sen.
Gregory
“Greg”
Tarver
and Rep.
Kyle
Green
did no
seek
re-elections
During
the 2003
elections,
Ann
Duplessis,
Austin
Jalila
Jefferson-Bullock
and
Austin
Badon
replaced
Leonard
Lucas,
Rosalind
Peychaud
and
Patrick
Swilling
respectively;
Rep.
Lydia
Jackson
was
elected
in
Shreveport
to
replace
Sen.
Gregory
Tarver
and
Derrick
Shepherd
of
Marrero,
replaced
Rep.
Kyle
Green
and Roy
Burrell
of
Shreveport
was
elected
to House
District
2 (replacing
Rep.
Lydia
Jackson).
Also,
the
Caucus
gained
an
additional
member,
Cheryl
Gray of
New
Orleans
in House
District
98. Rep.
Willie
Hunter
was
elected
as the
LLBC’s
eleventh
chairman.
In 2003
Sen.
Diana
Bajoie
and Rep.
Sharon
Weston
Broome
were
both
elected
as the
first
African
American
women to
serve as
President
Pro-Tempore
(Senate)
and
Speaker
Pro-Tempore
(House)
respectively.
In 2004
the
caucus
also saw
the
passing
of
dearly
beloved
State
Representative
Dr.
Charles
I.
Hudson
of
Opelousas
district
40.
Donald
Cravins,
Jr., son
of
Senator
Donald
Cravins,
Sr. was
elected
to
complete
his
unexpired
term.
Furthermore,
State
Senator
Paulette
Irons
from
Senate
District
4 was
elected
as a
Civil
District
Court
Judge in
New
Orleans
and
State
Senator
Melvin
"Kip"
Holden
of House
District
15 was
elected
as the
first
African
American
Major-President
of East
Baton
Rouge
Parish.
After
his
inauguration
in early
2005,
Representative
Sharon
Weston
Broome
made a
successful
bid to
replace
him in
the
Senate
in
District
15. She
resigned
her post
as
Speaker
Pro-Tempore
of the
House of
Representatives,
and
filled
his
unexpired
term in
the
Louisiana
Senate.
Additionally,
to fill
the new
vacancy
in House
District
29 Rep.
Regina
Ashford
Barrow
ran and
won.
Furthermore,
in 2005,
Representative
Yvonne
Dorsey
of House
District
67 was
elected
as the
Speaker
Pro-Tempore
of the
House of
Representatives.
2005
continued
to see
changes
in the
Louisiana
Legislative
Black
Caucus.
Representative
Murray
was
elected
State
Senator
to
replace
Irons,
and
Senator
Lambert
Boissiere
of New
Orleans
ran
successfully
for the
Constable
Seat in
Orleans
Parish,
thereby
creating
a
vacancy
in
Senate
District
4.
Representative
Juan
LaFonta
of New
Orleans
successfully
campaigned
and
filled
the
unexpired
term
left by
Murray’s
recent
Senate
election.
Rep.
Cedric
Richmond
was
elected
the
Caucus’
12th
LLBC
Chairman
and
Representative
Derrick
Shepherd
ran
successfully
for
Senator
Boissiere’s
unexpired
term and
was
elected
to the
Louisiana
Senate.
Sen.
Shepherd’s
election
created
another
vacancy
in the
House of
Representatives.
In June
of 2005,
Terrell
Harris,
of
Marrero
was
elected
to fill
the
vacancy
in House
District
87
created
by Sen.
Shepherd.
Representative
Cravins
Jr., and
Senator
Cravins
are the
only
father
and son
to serve
in the
legislature
at the
same
time.
2006
brought
new
changes
to the
caucus
as well.
Rep.
Arthur
Morrell
ran for
and won
election
as the
Clerk of
Criminal
Court in
the
Parish
of
Orleans
thereby
creating
a
vacancy
in House
District
97. A
special
election
was
called,
and his
son
Jean-Paul
“J.P.”
Morrell
was
elected
to fill
his
father’s
unexpired
term.
Also in
2006
Senator
Donald
Cravins,
Sr. ran
for
Mayor of
Opelousas,
which he
won
thereby
creating
a
vacancy
in the
Senate.
His son,
Rep.
Donald
Cravins,
Jr. ran
to fill
his
father’s
unexpired
term. He
won that
election,
and in
2006 was
sworn
into the
office
of State
Senator
representing
the 24th
Senate
District.
When
Senator
Donald
Cravins,
Jr. won
the
Senate
race, it
created
a
vacancy
in House
District
40. That
seat was
then
filled
by
Elbert
Guillory
who took
office
in 2007.
Rep.
Glover
ran for
Mayor of
Shreveport
and in
2006 won
the
election
and
became
the
first
African
American
Mayor of
the City
of
Shreveport.
His
election
as mayor
created
another
vacancy
in the
House,
and in
March
2007,
Patrick
Williams
ran and
won the
seat as
State
Representative
for
House
District
4
thereby
filling
the
unexpired
term
left by
Cedric
Glover. |