Grassroots groups in the South’s least-vaccinated states take on hesitancy

This summer, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, a coalition of community-based organizations that promotes civic engagement across Louisiana, started holding monthly “Sleeves Up” vaccination events. These gatherings, typically held at a church, community center, or apartment complex, offer games, food, and other incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Legislative Redistricting Roadshow Comes to Lake Charles On Wednesday, December 15, 2021

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2021  Lake Charles, LA– On Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at the Tritico Theater at McNeese State University, legislators will continue the Redistricting Roadshow at 5:30 P.M. CST. This is the final stop on the roadshow in 2021. This is an opportunity for legislators to hear comments and testimony from the public about the redistricting process.   …

Power Coalition Makes Redistricting Grants to Encourage Equitable Redistricting Process

Power Coalition Makes Redistricting Grants to Encourage Equitable Redistricting Process For Immediate Release: December 6, 2021  New Orleans, LA– Power Coalition for Equity and Justice is providing mini-grants to support small nonprofit organizations, churches, social clubs, and neighborhood groups across the state organizing their communities around the redistricting process. The grants support hosting community listening sessions, town halls, text and …

Louisiana Statewide Election Saturday, November 13

For Immediate Release: November 12, 2021  Voters across the state can cast their ballot for Constitutional Amendments and local races on Saturday, November 13 from 7:00am-8:00pm.  Baton Rouge, LA– Every voter in the state has the opportunity to cast their vote during the election on Saturday, November 13. The ballot has 4 statewide Constitutional Amendments and many parishes and towns …

Legislative Redistricting Roadshow Comes to Alexandria On Tuesday, November 9, 2021

For Immediate Release: November 9, 2021  Alexandria, LA– On Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at the LSU Alexandria Ballroom, legislators will continue the Redistricting Roadshow at 5:30 P.M. CST. This is the 4th stop on the roadshow where legislators hear comments and testimony from the public about the redistricting process.   Political Redistricting happens every 10 years after the census and is …

Sweeping Constitutional amendments on the ballot

After years of doing taxes the same way, Louisiana voters beginning Saturday are being asked to decide if the state should head in a different direction. Forty-three parishes, like Orleans, are choosing local leadership or deciding propositions, like East Baton Rouge, which is seeking to renew a property tax that funds the local city buses.

Staging Nov. 13 election has been tough

Storm water had moved a tomb near the front door. When the door was opened a snake slithered out from the accumulated marsh grass. Jumping out of the way, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s only thought was “nope.”

Every Voice Matters: Why Redistricting Is Important

Ashley Shelton, Executive Director of the Power Coalition of Equity & Justice, discusses redistricting in Louisiana. By Ashley K. Shelton Originally published in Word in Black When any storm makes its way into the Gulf, one of my greatest fears is always that history will repeat itself. An overwhelming sense of concern came over me as I watched Hurricane Ida …

‘It’s always urgent when it’s about vote, voice and power’

‘It’s always urgent when it’s about vote, voice and power’ Climate change, a major concern of this week’s United Nations General Assembly, affects people across the globe through immigration, food production and the economy, to name a few. But as Ashley K. Shelton tells Mary C. Curtis, climate change is also spurring voter suppression. Shelton, who leads the Power Coalition for …

Disaster Recovery: A System That Continues to Fail Its People

OPINION: It is imperative that groups seeking to offer humanitarian relief direct funds to grassroots groups who are clNonprofits and churches are always the first, and often the only, to step up and provide basic needs during disasters. By Janea Jamison Originally published in Word in Black On the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida landed as a Category 4 …

Partner Spotlight: Power Coalition for Equity and Justice delivers the goods

Power Coalition for Equity and Justice is a group of community-based organizations that work together to educate and empower voters across Louisiana. Through their voter engagement and community organizing work, the Power Coalition seeks to unify community voices into a stronger, more cohesive force that can successfully advocate for an agenda of shared values and issues.

Resiliency Politics & Mutual Aid in the Wake of Hurricane Ida

The word resilient is one that has been oft-used to describe those of us in Louisiana who survived Hurricane Katrina. A description one finds in media spectacles, political assurances, and academic studies. However, this notion of resiliency overlooks all those who lost homes and lives, those who did not make it and those who could not return, those who could not withstand or recovery …

Louisiana Postpones Statewide Elections

For Immediate Release: September 8, 2021  Baton Rouge, LA– On September 8, ten days after Hurricane Ida made landfall, Governor John Bel Edwards approved Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s emergency election plan, pushing the fall elections back by a month. The primary election will now be Saturday, November 13 and the runoff election will take place on Saturday, December 11.  …

Black Southern Women’s Collective Urges Candidates to Focus on Needs of Marginalized People and Not Police Budgets

Ahead of a host of local and municipal elections, the Black Southern Women’s Collective, today urged marginalized communities to demand that their elected leaders prioritize their voices and concerns. The Black Southern Women’s Collective is a network of Black women organizing in the South to improve the material conditions of Black people. Several members of the collective – Nse Ufot, …

On Hurricane Ida, COVID-19, and trauma: Resilience cannot be a permanent state

OPINION: It is imperative that groups seeking to offer humanitarian relief direct funds to grassroots groups who are closest to the pain of marginalization By Ashley K. Shelton Originally published in The Grio: https://thegrio.com/2021/08/30/hurricane-ida-covid-19-resilience-permanent-state/ Today, one day after the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I cannot help but reflect as Ida ravishes our state. This storm comes as our region faces …

Power Coalition Continues Canvassing for COVID-19 Vaccinations in Communities with Low Vaccination Rates

For Immediate Release: July 19, 2021  Shreveport, LA –Louisiana’s vaccination is still lagging behind other states in the nation. Despite a slow start, people continue to get vaccinated due to increased understanding of the vaccine in communities, increased access to the vaccine, and now a shot at a million dollars.  Power Coalition, the Louisiana Department of Health, and other partners …

Governor Edwards Signs Two Democracy Expanding Bills Into Law

For Immediate Release: July 15, 2021  New Orleans, LA–Since April 2021, Power Coalition has been a part of the Bring Back Louisiana campaign to get more Louisiana residents vaccinated. Baton Rouge, LA–Yesterday, voting rights advocates joined Governor Edwards to sign two new democracy expanding laws into effect.  Act 365 extends early voting for Presidential elections in Louisiana, increasing the early …

Power Coalition Canvasses Communities to Get Out the Vaccine

For Immediate Release: July 12, 2021  New Orleans, LA–Since April 2021, Power Coalition has been a part of the Bring Back Louisiana campaign to get more Louisiana residents vaccinated. The Louisiana vaccination rate is one of the lowest in the nation at just over 35%. We lag behind other states in vaccination rates for a number of reasons but Power …

Power Coalition and SCSJ Train 3 Redistricting Fellows

Power Coalition and SCSJ Train 3 Redistricting Fellows  Power Coalition and Southern Coalition for Social Justice train three redistricting fellows with the goal of engaging and educating communities around Louisiana about equitable redistricting.  New Orleans, LA– As the nation gears up for political redistricting, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, in partnership with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, is …

Power Coalition and YWCA Greater Baton Rouge Partner on Juneteenth Bail Out

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 18 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and YWCA Greater Baton Rouge pay bail for people awaiting trial in the East Baton Rouge jail in celebration of Juneteenth.  Baton Rouge, LA– Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and the YWCA Greater Baton Rouge are partnering for the annual Juneteenth Freedom Bailout. Juneteenth, also referred to …

Juneteenth Weekend Events

For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 17 Power Coalition and partners across Louisiana are hosting events and engaging in work in celebration of Juneteenth.  Power Coalition and YWCA Greater Baton Rouge will be hosting their second annual Juneteenth Bailout on Sunday, June 20 at the Eastern Baton Rouge Jail. They will be posting bail for people currently being held awaiting trial.  …

Democracy Expanding Bills Become Law

For Immediate Release: June 16 Power Coalition and partners help to pass democracy expanding bills in Louisiana.  Baton Rouge, LA– While states across the country pass voter suppression bills and limit access to the ballot box, Louisiana passed 3 important democracy expanding pieces of legislation this session. Louisiana had one of the most stringent voting booth time limits in the …

Prominent Southern University Alumni Release New Book: The HBCU Experience: Southern University System Edition

For immediate release– June 9, 2021 Prominent Southern University Alumni Release New Book: The HBCU Experience: Southern University System Edition Baton Rouge, LA– A new best selling book: The HBCU Experience: Southern University System Edition, features stories from prominent Southern University Alumni who are doing amazing things in their careers, businesses, and communities nationally and internationally. Visionary Author Dr. Ashley …

Additional early voting days nearly secured in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (KSLA) – Louisiana voters could have four additional days for early voting in the next presidential election. That is, if Governor John Bel Edwards signs the bill. HB 286, filed by Representative Frederick Jones, would give Louisianans 11 days instead of the current seven days for early voting. It has passed with bipartisan support in both the …

House Bill 286 to Extend Early Voting Passes Senate and Headed to Governor’s Desk

House Bill 286 to Extend Early Voting Passes Senate and Headed to Governor’s Desk Baton Rouge, LA– HB 286 to extend early voting for presidential elections passed the Louisiana Senate unanimously and is now headed to the Governor’s desk. The bill, sponsored by Representative Fred Jones out of Monroe, extends in-person early voting for presidential elections. Under this new law, …

Louisiana has a voting access problem; expanding the number of voting days could help

An Election Day line at Eleanor McMain Secondary School in New Orleans Nov. 3, 2020. (Photo by Jarvis DeBerry)

Louisiana has a voting access problem, particularly in areas where Black voters reside. But one bill before the Louisiana Legislature, HB 286 sponsored by Rep. Frederick Jones (D-Monroe), would address this problem by increasing access to in-person voting and extending from seven days to 11 eleven days the window for early voting in presidential elections. 

Power Coalition and Partners Hosting COVID-19 Vaccination Events to “Bring Back Louisiana”

For immediate release- April 27, 2021 Power Coalition and Partners Hosting COVID-19 Vaccination Events to “Bring Back Louisiana” New Orleans, LA– Power Coalition has joined forces with the Department of Health, Louisiana Public Health Institute, and other partners to vaccinate our communities.  The Power Coalition has deep roots in communities across the state and is a trusted voice to increase …

“Time” Oscar Watch Party and Celebration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE– April 23, 2021 “Time” Oscar Watch Party and Celebration New Orleans, LA– Criminal Justice reform advocates will be hosting an Oscar Watch Party and Celebration for the Oscar nominated documentary “Time”. This documentary, filmed over 2 decades, shares the story of matriarch Fox Rich as she fights for her husband Robert’s release from Angola while raising their …

Political Redistricting Shapes Local and Federal Elections

**PRESS RELEASE** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- April 20, 2021 Political Redistricting Shapes Local and Federal Elections New Orleans, LA– On March 20, Louisiana had special elections for 2 Congressional House seats. Congressional Districts 2 and 5 turned out to vote, some people for the 3rd time since the November election. Power Coalition and partners activated our command center that includes an …

Marijuana Decriminalization Bill passes in Shreveport

**PRESS RELEASE** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- March 24, 2021 Marijuana Decriminalization Bill passes in Shreveport SHREVEPORT, LA On Tuesday, March 23rd, the Shreveport City Council voted 5-2 in favor of an ordinance which would decriminalize possession of less than 14 grams (half an ounce) of marijuana for residents 18 years of age or older. The proposal came about as a result …

Power Coalition and Partners Host Congressional House District 2 Candidate Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-February 10, 2021 Power Coalition and Partners Host Congressional House District 2 Candidate Forum To help the public prepare for the March 20 special elections, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and our partners will be hosting virtual candidate forums. The Congressional House District 2 Candidate Forum will take place virtually tomorrow, Thursday, February 11, at 6:30 …

Louisiana Power Coalition seeks to reach immigrants who avoided 2020 Census

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A coalition of Louisiana organizations dedicated to civic engagement wants to get the word out to those who did not participate in the 2020 census because of their immigration status that there is still time to be counted if enough people speak up.  “Right now what we’re focusing on is trying to remedy any possible damage …

La.’s GOP lawmakers now support COVID-19 accommodations for upcoming elections

Ashley Shelton, the executive director of the nonprofit, said Tuesday night that her organization appreciates Ardoin keeping the COVID-19 reasons to request and absentee ballot, “but (he) did not keep the extended early voting (which they also did not do in December) so while we support extended mail in voting, I think we would like to see extended in-person early …