BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Carter Peterson today released the following statement on celebrating February as Black History Month:
“This month we highlight the incomparable contributions African Americans have made to our country’s story. Black Louisianians left their indelible imprint on our state’s culture and helped to shape America’s future. From the nation’s first African-American governor, P.B.S. Pinchback, to Reverend T.J. Jemison, who organized Baton Rouge’s bus boycott and inspired the Montgomery boycott several years later, to Mahalia Jackson, who was the voice of the civil rights movement — Louisiana has been the home to many significant black leaders, artists and thinkers. This month is a time to reflect on our past and look toward our future through education.
“As Americans, our kaleidoscopic heritage is a testament to our powerful exceptionalism. Each twine of our multifarious legacy is woven into a greater American story. Our shared national history is one of expanding liberty, enhanced dignity and the relentless struggle to secure our inalienable rights. And so should our future be, as we look ever forward toward a more perfect union, never forgetting the giants upon whose shoulders we continue to stand today.”
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