“How Do You Feel?”
How can anyone watch the murders of unarmed black man and not feel pained, vulnerable, traumatized, powerless, frustrated, tired. I am a black man. That could’ve been me. I will not apologize for being black.
My skin color should not be a crime.
JUAN LAFONTA
Juan LaFonta is a New Orleans personal injury attorney and former Democratic State Representative for Louisiana representing Louisiana House District 96. He was elected in 2005 during a special election and was unopposed in his 2007 re-election. LaFonta served as Louisiana first Freshmen legislator elected to Chairman of the Black Caucus. LaFonta also served on the Commerce Committee, the Insurance Committee, and the Retirement Committee. After Hurricane Katrina, LaFonta also served on the House Special Committee on Disaster Planning, Crisis Management, Recovery and Long-Term Revitalization.
Richard C Thomas
Richard C Thomas is a New Orleans artist of the community. Thomas was hired by the City of New Orleans to create murals underneath the Claiborne bridge to help bring awareness to and encourage the celebration of Mardi Gras on Claiborne Avenue. After that, Thomas was hired to create 14 murals around the city, and completed this with children - not unlike himself - in an attempt to encourage those who had dropped out to continue and persevere. Thomas toured schools and other educational facilities and would push to influence young artists and their school boards to establish an arts program for the Greater New Orleans area. This is a model Thomas would continue to incorporate in his practices
Brother Willie Muhammad
Brother Willie Muhammad is a New Orleans native. He is a graduate of Walter L. Cohen High School and Xavier University. He has taught in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge public schools systems. 2003 he was approved by the Honorable Louis Farrakhan to serve as the Student Minister of Muhammad Mosque #46 and his New Orleans Representative. Brother Muhammad has also worked as a mentor and an instructor for two groups of young Black males, who worked to acquire their GED. Many of the young men were able to obtain their GED and move on to better their lives.
Stanley J Schofield Jr
Stanley J Schofield Jr is a renowned motivational speaker, a former New Orleans public school teacher, and consultant for the U.S. Department of Education.
Norman Robinson
Norman Hollis Robinson is a former journalist in New Orleans, where he served as reporter for WVUE-TV from 1976 to 1978 and WWL-TV from February 1979 through July 1989, and later news anchor for WDSU-TV Channel 6 (NBC), where he worked in the news department from July 1990 until his retirement in May 2014.
Rev. Tony Ricard
Rev. R. Tony Ricard is a Priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the Campus Minister and Chair of the Theology Department at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. He is the Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish and is also a Core Instructor of Church Doctrine and Youth Ministry for the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Dr. Eric “Doc” GRiggs
Dr. Eric “Doc” Griggs is a New Orleans-based Community Medicine Director and health educator who has dedicated his professional life to raising health and wellness awareness in the New Orleans community.