In 2012, as social worker Danielle Wright was conducting behavioral health screenings in public schools around New Orleans, she kept meeting students in their preteens or early teens who were suicidal. Part of Wright’s job was to go to schools and assess the overall mental health of students who were participating in a sexual and […]
Posted inArts
Lit Louisiana: New Orleans writer among few women to gain fame during Harlem Renaissance
Lit Louisiana highlights the state’s contemporary literature and brings significant books and authors from the past to the readers of Verite. There were few women writers who became well-known for their participation in the Harlem Renaissance, the era when cultural Afrocentrism arose in New York City. Among the most famous authors were Zora Neale Hurston, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Tragic Prison Death of Markus Lanieux Jr. Sparks Inquiry
The son of Markus Lanieux – the Louisiana prisoner who was the subject of a joint report last week by Verite News and ProPublica – died Thursday (Sept. 7) while in state custody at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Cottonport. Ken Pastorick, communications director for the Louisiana Department of Corrections said last week there […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Fled a traffic stop in Kenner. Now he’s in prison for life
Update, Sept. 8, 2023: The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of Attorney General Jeff Landry on Friday, declaring unconstitutional a recently passed Louisiana law that empowers district attorneys to revisit and reduce excessive sentences. The ruling reverses that of a district court that had rejected Landry’s challenge and reinstates the life sentence of William […]
Posted inPorch Poppin'
Porch Poppin’: Remembering Bill Rouselle
In this episode of Porch Poppin’, DC Paul remembers Bill Rouselle, political strategist and CEO of Bright Moments.
Posted inNews
Responding to months of demands, City Council to consider Gaza ‘peace’ resolution
The proposed resolution supports diplomatic efforts toward peace in the territory but stops short of a call for an immediate ceasefire.
Posted inHealth
New Orleans preteen writes children’s book inspired by father’s organ transplant
When her father, former Times-Picayune columnist Jarvis DeBerry, went in for the transplant shortly afterward, the doctor’s office offered Naomi a coloring book to comfort and occupy her. But she said it wasn’t enough.
Posted inCriminal Justice
New Louisiana law serves as a warning to bystanders who film police: Stay away or face arrest
Louisiana is the fourth state to enact a so-called police buffer law, which allows officers to order people to keep their distance. Journalists say the law will make it harder to document when police use excessive force.
Posted inNews
News outlets sue Louisiana over law that makes it illegal to be within 25-foot buffer zone of police officers
Gov. Jeff Landry signed Act 259 into law in May. Violators could be fined up to $500, face up two months in prison or both. News organizations in Louisiana say the law is unconstitutional.
Posted inPorch Poppin'
Porch Poppin’: Prison Litigation Reform Act could block reforms to address failings in Angola’s medical system
In this episode of Porch Poppin’, EJ Johnson discusses the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority’s plan to add new buses to its fleet.
Posted inBack in the Day
Edmond Dédé was a Black classical music composer
Edmond Dédé picked up a clarinet first, but his true calling was to become a violin prodigy, a composer and a conductor.
Posted inPolitics
Trump Media quietly enters deal with a Louisiana donor who could benefit from a second Trump administration
The deal with energy magnate James E. Davison illustrates how Trump’s stake in the Truth Social company, which makes up a majority of his net worth, presents conflicts of interest.
Posted inCivil Rights
Advocates tour Louisiana to register voters, educate citizens on voting rights
In honor of the 1964 Freedom Summer voter registration drive, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice is going to cities across Louisiana on a tour named after the historic civil rights era political action.
Posted inBack in the Day
Keith Weldon Medley was a historian and award-winning author
Much of Black and New Orleans history would have been lost if not for Keith Weldon Medley.