Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1983-04-03

Duration: 00:26:02

Subjects: African Americans | Politics | VOTING | Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus

Contributors:

• Hinton, Rob Host
• Stewart, Genevieve Host
• Dennis, Joe Interviewee
• Jeffers, Ben Interviewee
• Pitcher, Fred, Jr. Interviewee
• Robinson, Press Interviewee
• Jasper, Thomas Interviewee
• Wesley, Lee Interviewee

This episode of the series “Folks” from April 3, 1983, focuses on the political power of African Americans in Louisiana. Genevieve Stewart first reports on the lack of minority representation in both the city and parish of Lafayette and the concerns over the home rule charter. She interviews Joe Dennis of the Black Alliance for Progress. Rob Hinton then reports on the voting power of African Americans. He interviews: Ben Jeffers, a 1979 candidate for Secretary of State; Fred Pitcher, the first African American elected as a City Judge in Baton Rouge; and Press Robinson, Pitcher’s campaign manager. Lastly, Stewart and Hinton conduct an in-studio interview with Thomas Jasper, the Special Assistant to the Governor for the Office of Minority Affairs, and Lee Wesley, the executive director of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. They discuss: the African American appointees in the Treen Administration; the Black Caucus’ priorities in the upcoming legislative session; whether the Democratic Party takes the black vote for granted; the Treen Administration’s level of commitment to the black community; and the reasons for voter apathy among black voters.