FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–May 2, 2020 Advocates Object to Legislature’s Timing  In a letter to Senate President Cortez and House Speaker Schexnayder, more than 20 advocacy organizations object to the timing of the state legislature re-convening. NEW ORLEANS, LA | May 2, 2020—The COVID pandemic, and its resulting loss of life and livelihood, has hit Louisiana hard. The state legislature knows this all too well, having lost one of their own, Rep. Reggie Bagala–our prayers go out to his loved ones–and having nearly lost another member in Rep. Edward ‘Ted’ James. Out of concern and respect for their lives, and out of concern and respect for the lives of every Louisianan, more than 20 advocacy organizations have signed onto a letter that we sent to Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder earlier today. In it, we detail several reasons why we object to their timing in reconvening the...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–April 28, 2020 Kenya Slaughter Never Planned to be a Front-line Worker, but That’s Exactly What She’s Become Kenya Slaughter, an organizer and a frontline worker at a Dollar General in Alexandria, LA, wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times this past Sunday talking about how she never expected to become a frontline worker, and how her employer hasn’t provided the support she and her colleagues need during this time. NEW ORLEANS, LA | April 28, 2020—This past Sunday, April 26, the New York Times published a moving Op-Ed written by Kenya Slaughter. Ms. Slaughter, who lives in Alexandria, LA, is a frontline worker at a Dollar General there. She followed up her piece in the Times by being featured on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon on Monday evening. “I’m afraid to catch the coronavirus,” Kenya writes in her Op-Ed, titled ‘I Never Planned to Be...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–April 22, 2020 Louisiana Legislature to Consider New Emergency Election Plan This Morning After failing to approve Secretary of State Kye Ardoin’s emergency election plan last week, the Senate and the House & Governmental Affairs Committees are set to consider a new version this morning. NEW ORLEANS, LA | April 22, 2020—After getting his initial emergency election plan shot down by the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee last Wednesday over unfounded concerns about “voter fraud,” Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin will return to the Committee this morning, at 10:00 a.m., to introduce a new version of that plan. The plan will apply to the upcoming Presidential primary (July 11) and municipal (August 15) elections. In the past week, Sec. Ardoin worked with Gov. Edwards, Attorney General Jeff Landry, and legislative leaders to craft this latest plan. It still includes some version of many of the measures we called...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–April 16, 2020 Senate Committee Kills Emergency Election Plan Yesterday, the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee deferred on voting on the Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s emergency election plan, potentially putting voters’ health and lives at risk during the upcoming presidential primary and municipal elections NEW ORLEANS, LA | April 16, 2020—Yesterday, Wednesday, April 15, the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee, which convened at 10:00 a.m. to hear Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s emergency election plan, decided to defer on that plan, effectively killing it. The plan would have further delayed the Presidential primary election and municipal elections, extended vote-by-mail options to most Louisianans during the pandemic, and added six more days to Early Voting in order to decrease crowding in polling locations.  Republicans on the Senate committee voiced strong opposition to expanding voting by mail, in particular, continually citing “voter fraud” as a reason for that opposition,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–April 14, 2020 Louisiana Advocacy Groups to Monitor Secretary of State’s Emergency Election Plan More than two dozen Louisiana advocacy organizations plan to protect democracy by fighting for the elections and voting measures they outlined in a recently released list of comprehensive policy demands and ideas for an equitable COVID-19 response and recovery. NEW ORLEANS, LA | April 14, 2020—This past Good Friday, April 10, at about 5:00 p.m., the Secretary of State and the House & Governmental Affairs Committee announced they would be holding a hearing this coming Wednesday, April 15, at 11:00 a.m. The timing of that announcement seemed suspicious–neither government agencies nor private businesses have been known to save good news for late on a Friday, especially a holiday Friday. As a statewide civic engagement organization, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–http://powercoalition.org) is never in favor of announcements that appear to be intended...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–​April 13, 2020 Advocacy Groups Release Comprehensive Roadmap to an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery Louisiana advocacy organizations and nonprofits release comprehensive list of policy demands and ideas to help guide Gov. Edwards, state legislators, local officials, and other public and private stakeholders to develop a racially and economically equitable COVID-19 response and recovery. NEW ORLEANS, LA | April 13, 2020—According to a recent article in the Advocate newspaper, Black people accounted for 70% of Coronavirus deaths in Louisiana through early April, while only making up 32% of the state’s population. Sadly, this type of outcome is the standard, not an anomaly. When disaster strikes, Black folks and other people of color always bear the disproportionate brunt of the devastation. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Gov. Edwards has announced plans to establish a task force to study the racial disparity in Coronavirus deaths. While that...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–March 17, 2020 DOZENS OF CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS DEMAND CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS FOR PEOPLE IN STATE PRISONS, JAILS AND FEDERAL DETENTION IN THE DEEP SOUTH Montgomery, Alabama — With the coronavirus spreading quickly across the country, dozens of civil rights groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center, (SPLC) are demanding that the federal government and Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida officials ensure that the health and safety of people in jails,  prisons and immigrant detention centers in the Deep South are being protected from the virus, and release those people most at risk of suffering serious complications or death. The coalition of civil rights advocacy organizations are calling on states, in a series of demand letters, to immediately develop evidence-based protocols and proactively plan the prevention and management of a COVID-19 outbreak. “Imprisoned and detained people are highly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses such as COVID-19,” said a letter signed by the...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–​March 17 2020 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Informs Louisiana’s Communities About Local Resources During Outbreak The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice has turned our website–powercoalition.org–into an emergency resources page for communities across Louisiana. We will update it as new information becomes available. NEW ORLEANS, LA | March 16, 2020—The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice is dedicated to working with, and on behalf of, Louisiana’s most vulnerable communities, especially those who don’t normally have access to proper health care and other vital resources. In a time like this, our work will go into overdrive, since we will need to make sure that our most vulnerable loved ones aren’t left further behind. One of the ways we are trying to accomplish that goal is by using our website–powercoalition.org–as a repository of information and resources for communities across Louisiana. We have already extensively added to the site,...

Montgomery, Alabama — With the coronavirus spreading quickly across the country, dozens of civil rights groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center, (SPLC) are demanding that the federal government and Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida officials ensure that the health and safety of people in jails,  prisons and immigrant detention centers in the Deep South are being protected from the virus, and release those people most at risk of suffering serious complications or death.  The coalition of civil rights advocacy organizations are calling on states, in a series of demand letters, to immediately develop evidence-based protocols and proactively plan the prevention and management of a COVID-19 outbreak....

Montgomery, Alabama — With the coronavirus spreading quickly across the country, dozens of civil rights groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center, (SPLC) are demanding that the federal government and Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida officials ensure that the health and safety of people in jails,  prisons and immigrant detention centers in the Deep South are being protected from the virus, and release those people most at risk of suffering serious complications or death.  The coalition of civil rights advocacy organizations are calling on states, in a series of demand letters, to immediately develop evidence-based protocols and proactively plan the prevention and management of a COVID-19 outbreak....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–March 16, 2020 In the Face of a Public Health Crisis, We Must Protect Our Most Vulnerable Populations While our elected officials have taken a strong lead in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice asks everyone, especially those leaders, to focus their attention on our most vulnerable populations. From elections and voting, to housing, to food security, to health care, and more, the COVID-19 outbreak presents a disproportionately large threat to those communities. We must all come together to protect them. NEW ORLEANS, LA | March 16, 2020—The COVID-19 outbreak is unprecedented. Even in Louisiana, where we have ample experience preparing for and responding to natural disasters, we will need to find new ways to adapt to this rapidly changing situation. Delaying Louisiana’s presidential primary and municipal elections is one of those necessary changes. We know there are more changes on the...

March 10, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Stephen Kearny, Co-Founder, Fair Districts Louisiana // fairdistrictslouisiana@gmail.com // 225-235-7955 Contact: Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, prb@powercolaition.org, 504-256-8196   Fair Districts Louisiana, Power Coalition Introduce Election Integrity Package Today, Fair Districts Louisiana and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice unveiled the 2020 Election Integrity Package, a collection of five bills that will increase confidence in the state’s election system and ensure that the best available tools and techniques are used to redraw Louisiana’s districts after the 2020 census.  The bills in the Election Integrity Package include: H.B. 623, co-sponsored by Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman & Rep. Barry Ivey: Creates an 18-member, bipartisan redistricting study and advisory commission to study best practices in redistricting and make recommendations to the legislature. H.B. 565, sponsored by Rep. Barry Ivey. Creates a state-run redistricting transparency website that provides a wide range...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–February 19, 2020 Report: “Powerful Impact” Explains High Turnout Among Voters of Color in 2019 LA Elections Power Coalition for Equity and Justice releases report detailing our 2019 get-out-the-vote campaign, and the impact our work and the work of our coalition partners had on voter-of-color turnout during last year’s statewide elections. NEW ORLEANS, LA | February 19, 2020—Turnout among voters of color was decisive in shaping the outcome of Louisiana’s state elections last year. More than 50 percent of registered Black voters turned out for the runoff election on November 16, accounting for 31 percent of the total votes cast. Non-Black people of color also voted at higher than average rates, further helping to drive historically high turnout numbers for voters of color in Louisiana state elections. All of those numbers, and many more, are detailed in the Power Coalition’s new “Powerful Impact” report, which is now available...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–February 13, 2020 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Asks Faith Leaders to Join Our ‘Census Sunday’ Initiative The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice is asking faith leaders across Louisiana to help us get everyone counted during this year’s U.S. Census by joining our ‘Census Sunday’ initiative. The initiative is part of our ‘Count Me In’ campaign to make sure our communities are fully counted.   Contacts: Janea Jamison, Census Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 766-9289, jjamison@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | February 13, 2020—Ensuring a fair and accurate count in the 2020 U.S. Census is essential to the well-being of our communities. The Census determines how and where billions of dollars of federal money gets spent, and every time someone goes uncounted Louisiana loses out on $2,291.  As a poor...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–February 13, 2020 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice to Launch Census Outreach Campaign As part of our ‘Count Me In’ campaign, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice will be offering Census mini-grants to community leaders and organizations. We will also be teaming up with the Data Center to provide real-time updates on how fully communities of color are being counted during Census season.      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contacts: Janea Jamison, Census Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 766-9289, jjamison@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | February 13, 2020—Civic engagement does not stop at the end of election season. We must educate ourselves and our communities 365 days a year. That’s why the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–powercoalition.org) is working to encourage and support local Census outreach efforts in...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–November 19, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Propels Huge Boost in Turnout Among Voters of Color in 2019 Louisiana Elections After months of hard work and more than 1.1 million attempted voter contacts, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and our partners saw our efforts pay off, as voters of color turned out in huge numbers to make their voices heard and their power felt at the polls. NEW ORLEANS, LA | November 19, 2019—While political parties, candidates, and outside interest groups were busy spending tens of millions of dollars on TV, radio, and digital ads for Louisiana’s 2019 statewide elections, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–powercoalition.org) and our partners were out knocking on doors, hosting community events and candidate forums, calling and texting voters, and working with churches and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to engage and turn out voters of color...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–November 5, 2019 Get on the “Early Voting Express” with the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. Pickups Across New Orleans All Week Long. The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and our partner organization, Step Up Louisiana, are providing rides to the polls throughout Early Voting Week. Pickups will take place in a different city council district each day (District A is Monday, District B is Tuesday…). See schedule below.   Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | November 5, 2019—The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–powercoalition.org) is teaming up with Step Up Louisiana to offer New Orleans residents rides to the polls throughout Early Voting Week. Our “Early Voting Express” bus will be making pickups across the city every...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 31, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice to Join the Moderators and Ministers of Greater New Orleans and Step Up Louisiana in Launching Early Voting Turnout in New Orleans Early Voting for the Runoff Election starts this Saturday, November 2, and organizations across New Orleans are preparing to turn folks out to the polls during Early Voting Week. The effort will kick-off with a press conference tomorrow, Friday, November 1, at 12:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr., statue at South Claiborne and Felicity.   Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 31, 2019—Tomorrow, Friday, November 1, at 12:00 p.m., the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, and our partner organization, Step Up Louisiana, will join the Moderators...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 11, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Turning Out and Protecting Voters This Election Day, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice is dedicated to turning out voters AND ensuring that everyone can exercise their right to vote. We are teaming up with Election Protection, the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition, to monitor polls across Louisiana and make sure that every voter can make their voice heard through their vote   Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 11, 2019—Election Day is tomorrow, October 12, and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ, http://powercoalition.org) has spent the past six weeks canvassing communities across the state, urging voters to turn out and make their voices heard at the...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 10, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice & Partners Post Candidate Responses to Redistricting Pledge Working with partner organizations Fair Districts Louisiana and Louisiana Progress, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice asked every legislative candidate in the state to sign onto our fair redistricting pledge. The responses to that pledge are now live on our website. Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 10, 2019—Following up on our release of several voter education tools in the lead-up to Election Day tomorrow–including our Legislator Scorecard (http://powercoalition.org/legislator-scorecards-2019/) and our Candidate Survey (http://powercoalition.org/candidate-survey-2019/)–the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ) has now gone live with candidate responses to our 2019 Redistricting Pledge (http://powercoalition.org/2019-redistricting-pledge/). Working together with two of our partner organizations, Fair...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 10, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and PolicyLink Release Louisiana Health Equity Atlas The Louisiana Health Equity Atlas is a new tool that allows users to see how we can lift up our entire state, and promote health and prosperity for all, by investing in health equity in communities of color.   Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 10, 2019—In our continuing effort to give every Louisianan access to information that helps them understand where we are as a state, and where we could get to if we centered equity and justice in our decision-making, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–http://powercoalition.org) has teamed up with PolicyLink (https://www.policylink.org) to compile and produce the Louisiana Health Equity Atlas...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 10, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, Voice of the Experienced, and Black Voters Matter Team Up for Statewide GOTV Bus Tour  The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ) and Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) are partnering with Black Voters Matter (BVM) for a Statewide Bus Tour to educate and engage voters on the Power of their voice through exercising the right to vote.   Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org Jennifer Harding, Organizing Coordinator, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), (510) 326-2418, jenniferharding@vote-nola.org  NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 10, 2019—The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–http://powercoalition.org) and Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) are partnering with Black Voters Matter for a Statewide Bus Tour to educate and engage voters on the Power of their...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 9, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Adds More Voter Education Tools & Resources to Website Building on our 2019 Legislator Scorecard, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice has added a new set of voter education tools and resources to our website, including responses to our candidate survey and an explainer of the responsibilities for many of the offices that Louisianans will be voting for this coming Saturday, October 12. Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 9, 2019—Election Day is just three days away, and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ–http://powercoalition.org) continues to roll out online tools and resources that can help voters make more informed decisions when they go to the polls this Saturday,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–September 30, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Goes Live with Our 2019 Legislator Scorecard To kick off Early Voting, and help voters learn more about their elected officials and candidates, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice has launched our 2019 Legislator Scorecard.  Go to powercoalition.org/legislator-scorecards-2019/ to find out how your state representative voted on key bills during the past legislative term (2016-2019). It’s also a handy guide for learning more about the issues that are taken up in the Louisiana legislature.   Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org   NEW ORLEANS, LA | September 30, 2019—Now that early voting is in full swing, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice has launched our legislator scorecard (http://powercoalition.org/legislator-scorecards-2019/). This new feature can help you learn...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–September 11, 2019 Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, Partners Launch 2019 Get Out the Vote Campaign This past Saturday, September 7, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and its partner organizations launched their campaign to set out across Louisiana to knock on doors, call voters, and hold community events and candidate forums with the goal of educating voters and getting out the vote for this year’s elections. With approximately half of the state legislature set to turn over this election season, and dozens of important local races on the ballot all over Louisiana, the time is now to make our voices heard and advocate for the changes our community and state so desperately need. Contacts: Raegan Carter, Statewide Campaign Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 408-9301, rcarter@powercoalition.org Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org NEW ORLEANS, LA |...

PRESS RELEASE: Governor Signs House Bill 397! Defendants Who Can’t Afford to Pay Criminal Fines and Fees Will No Longer Have Their Driver’s Licenses Suspended...

Anthony Levine, Sr. Highlights Power Coalition for My Cause My Cleats   Anthony Levine, Sr., native of Abbeville, Louisiana, two time Super Bowl Champion, and current linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens will highlight Power Coalition as his cause for the National Football League’s annual My Cause My Cleats initiative. My Cause My Cleats enable players to shine a light on their passions beyond the game. Mr. Levine is dedicated to having an impact on his community. On Sunday, December 16, 2018, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has chosen the causes of learning disabilities and voting. Regarding this selection, he explained, “As a Louisiana native who struggled most of my life with a learning disability, it became clear to me as a veteran in the NFL that I needed to use my story about my personal struggle to empower kids who are dealing with the same learning disabilities that I...