FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–October 28, 2020
Power Coalition Executive Director Ashley Shelton to Join Webinar to Launch “Portrait of Louisiana 2020” Report on Thurs., Oct. 29
A new report from Measure of America, “A Portrait of Louisiana 2020,” shows that the pandemic could significantly worsen statewide disparities in well-being, with the analysis broken down by race, place, and gender to show where relief efforts could make the greatest impact.
NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 28, 2020—Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, at 3:30 p.m., Ashley Shelton, Executive Director of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ), will join moderator Jan Moller, Executive Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, and panelists Davante Lewis, Director of Public Affairs and Outreach at the Louisiana Budget Project, and Erika Zucker, Policy Advocate at the Workplace Justice Project at Loyola Law Clinic in a webinar to discuss a new report from Measure of America, “A Portrait of Louisiana 2020,” which was made possible through the support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Measure of America’s Director Kristen Lewis will kick-off the webinar, which will be co-hosted by LSU’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, with a presentation of the report’s key findings, which will then be followed by the panel discussion on the report’s implications for the state’s road to recovery. You can register for the webinar here and watch live on the Louisiana Budget Project’s Facebook page here.
The report is an extensive study of the well-being of Louisianans across race, place, and gender. It is based on 2018 data, the latest available from the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it builds on the findings of “A Portrait of Louisiana 2009.”
“A Portrait of Louisiana 2020” also builds on the American Human Development Index (HDI), which is derived from the U.N. Human Development Index, and measures well-being across three key indicators: life expectancy, access to education, and earnings. It offers detailed analysis and data by parish and demographic group for each indicator, serving as a map of vulnerability to help advocates, governments, and community members measure progress and see where the need for support exists as Louisiana faces the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, and a record-breaking hurricane season.
“This report shows how there is nothing inevitable about inequality in Louisiana,” said Davante Lewis. “The well-being gaps in the state are the result of policy decisions and the racial disparities are the result of centuries of systemic racism. But people in power can improve well-being for those who are most vulnerable by making different, better choices.”
“This timely research is a critical component in generating thoughtful programs, dialogue and action that contribute to improving Louisiana’s health, education, living standards and human development,” said Jenée Slocum, director of the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication. “We are working toward research-based, action-oriented solutions that strengthen the well-being of Louisianans, and this is a substantial step in the right direction.”
The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice works to build voice and power in traditionally ignored communities. We are a coalition of groups from across Louisiana whose mission is to organize in impacted communities, educate and turn out voters, and fight for policies that create a more equitable and just system in Louisiana.
Who: Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ), Louisiana Budget Project, Workplace Justice Project at Loyola Law Clinic, Measure of America, LSU’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs
What: Webinar to launch and discuss “A Portrait of Louisiana 2020” on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 3:30 p.m.
When: October 29, 2020
Contacts:
Ashley Shelton, Executive Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (225) 802-2435, ashelton@powercoalition.org
Peter Robins-Brown, Communications Director, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, (504) 256-8196, prb@powercoalition.org
MEDIATE RELEASE–October 23, 2020