The name “Orleans Parish Prison” still stirs outrage in New Orleans, even after its rebranding as the Orleans Justice Center. From the abandonment of inmates during Hurricane Katrina to the federal consent decree still in place today, the jail has long symbolized the city’s deep-rooted failures around incarceration, mental health, and racial justice. Big Easy […]
How Big Tech tracks us all—and targets the most vulnerable In today’s economy, privacy is a luxury good. If you use social media, browse the internet, or even walk down the street with a smartphone in your pocket, chances are you’re being surveilled. Not for safety. Not for convenience. But for profit. This is the […]
As the Louisiana state government plans to spend nearly $198 million on juvenile incarceration in 2025, grassroots advocates like Operation Restoration are raising urgent questions: Why is the state doubling down on youth prisons while crime declines and communities cry out for investment in prevention? According to Operation Restoration’s recent campaign, Louisiana is budgeting $197.9 […]
Every time someone points at New Orleans and says, “See? Another murder. Another carjacking,” they ignore the reality: the conditions behind crime in cities like ours weren’t random—they were built, layer by layer, over decades. From government-backed redlining to the hollowing out of urban communities through white flight, and the devastating rise of mass incarceration, […]
The U.S. Supreme Court is once again positioned to decide the future of Black political power in Louisiana. This time, the case centers on whether a congressional district map—drawn under court order to comply with the Voting Rights Act (VRA)—should be struck down as unconstitutional. The consolidated cases, Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais, […]
The French Quarter is the beating heart of New Orleans tourism. Millions of people wander its streets every year, drawn in by its jazz, food, cocktails, and culture. But look a little closer, and a glaring question starts to emerge: Where are the Black-owned businesses? In a city that is nearly 60% Black, the French […]
In a groundbreaking revelation, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) and Inclusive Louisiana are set to unveil a report detailing the identities of enslaved individuals buried on the proposed Formosa Plastics site in St. James Parish. The report, titled Buried at Buena Vista: The Untold Stories of Five Enslaved People, brings to light the harrowing histories […]
On Monday, October 7, a pivotal case addressing environmental racism will come before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The lawsuit, filed by Inclusive Louisiana, Mount Triumph Baptist Church, and RISE St. James, challenges decades of alleged discriminatory land use practices by the St. James Parish Council. These practices, the plaintiffs […]
The Civil Rights Movement in the United States was a pivotal period of social and political upheaval, marked by the struggle against racial segregation and the fight for equality. While the movement profoundly impacted the nation, its manifestation in New Orleans bore unique characteristics that set it apart from other regions. The city’s rich cultural […]
“Captive State” will open to visitors July 19 NEW ORLEANS (July 10, 2024) —After more than six years of research and preparation, the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) will debut a limited-time exhibition titled “Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration” that examines the roots of the state’s current distinction as the incarceration capital of the […]
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