BUILD ANEW, BLUE CROSS STANDS READY TO SUPPORT YOU.

THE LOUISIANA BLACK CHURCH FOR LPB, AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY WATCHING.

AND BUILDING STRONGER, SMARTER COMMUNITIES, TOGETHER.

ENTERGY IS PROUD TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMING ON LPB AND GREENER PRACTICES THAT PRESERVE LOUISIANA.

THE GOAL OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES REALLY IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR KIDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN BE LEFT WITH A CLEANER PLANET.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE FRED B.

AND RUTH B. ZIEGLER FOUNDATION AND THE ZIEGLER ART MUSEUM LOCATED IN JENNINGS CITY HALL.

THE MUSEUM FOCUSES ON EMERGING LOUISIANA ARTISTS AND IS AN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

AND THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING WITH SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

A COVID, MARDI GRAS REFERENCE.

2020 WAS VERY GOOD TO ME.

THERE WAS NOBODY THAT BLACK ON -- WHY BLACK CHURCHES LED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

HI EVERYONE, I'M KARA ST. CYR.

AND I'M ANDRE' MOREAU.

MUCH MORE ON THOSE TOP STORIES IN A MOMENT ON THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF SWI.

BUT FIRST, CONTINUED BLASTS OF COLD AIR ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO SOUTH LOUISIANA ON THIS WEEKEND BEFORE MARDI GRAS, AND WITH IT, SNOW AND ICE ARE EXPECTED.

GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS THURSDAY DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR ALL OF LOUISIANA IN ADVANCE OF THIS WINTRY WEATHER.

SHREVEPORT AND MONROE HAVE HAD A TASTE ALL WEEK WITH MORE SNOW AND SINGLE-DIGIT LOWS IN THE FORECAST.

EVEN IN NEW ORLEANS, THERE'S THE SLIGHTEST CHANCE OF SOME WINTRY MIX.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO THIS WEEK SIGNED AN ORDER KEEPING OUR MODIFIED PHASE 2 RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE FOR AT LEAST THREE MORE WEEKS.

CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS ARE TRENDING DOWN AT THE MOMENT.

RIGHT NOW LOUISIANA MORE THAN 1,100 NEW CASES TODAY AND 37 NEW DEATHS, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES UP TO MORE THAN 400,000.

THAT BRINGS US TO THE GOVERNOR'S COVID BRIEFING THIS WEEK.

EVEN THOUGH THE TYPICAL MARDI GRAS ISN'T HAPPENING, NEW ORLEANS STILL HAS MANY THOUSANDS OF VISITORS IN TOWN.

BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS AND THE VARIANTS IN PLACE, THERE IS CONCERN OF LARGER GATHERINGS COULD IGNITE A NEW SPREAD.

WHAT MARDI GRAS DID TO OUR STATE LAST YEAR AND HOW WIDELY AND DEEPLY THE VIRUS GOT SEATED INTO OUR COMMUNITIES ALL THROUGHOUT LOUISIANA, BUT PRINCIPALLY IN THAT GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA.

I HAVE DECIDED TO STAY IN THE MODIFIED PHASE 2 WITH THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE FOR 21 MORE DAYS.

AFTER THAT THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF WAS VACCINATED.

AND, THIS WEEK SAW THE STATE'S FIRST TWO LARGE SCALE VACCINATION OPPORTUNITIES.

TUESDAY AT THE PENNINGTON RESEARCH CENTER IN BATON ROUGE AND FRIDAY AT THE BATON ROUGE CLINIC.

FRIDAY'S EVENT FOR VETERANS LIVING IN THIS PART OF THE STATE.

AND NOW, MORE HEADLINES MAKING NEWS ACROSS OUR STATE.

AMERICA'S LIVING WORLD WAR II VETERAN RECEIVED HIS COVID VACCINE.

TWO DAYS EARLIER, HE TURNED 111 YEARS OLD.

BROOKS GOT 10,000 CARDS.

WHAT'S HIS SECRET TO LIVING SO LONG?

NO SECRET, JUST -- BE NICE TO PEOPLE.

BILL CASSIDY SAID TRUMP'S LAWYERS DID A TERRIBLE JOB ARGUING HIS CASE.

HE WAS ONE OF SIX REPUBLICANS TO SIDE CAN DEMOCRATS ON WHETHER A FORMER PRESIDENT CAN BE TRIED AFTER LEAVING OFFICE.

HE'S TAKING SOME HEAT FOR CHANGING HIS STANCE FROM A WEEK AGO.

EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE ABOUT TWO ARRESTS FROM 2019 AND 2020 AROUND MONROE.

FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS ARE INVESTIGATING FROM THE 2019 CASE OF RONALD GREEN.

CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON A 3200 COASTAL AND RESTORATION BATTERED BY MONTHS AGO.

THE AREA WAS ALREADY SINKING.

THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE SAND DREDGING FROM THE RESULT OF MEXICO.

A REMINDER FOR TAXPAYERS, IT INVOLVES COVID-19 RELIEF BENEFITS.

THE HEADS-UP FOR TAXPAYERS IS THAT THEY'LL HAVE TO KNOW WHICH FEDERAL-RELATED BENEFITS ARE TAXABLE AND WHICH ARE NOT.

THERE WAS A JOINT MEETING TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECENT GAS OIL EXPLORATION.

THE IMPACT ON THE STATE ECONOMY WOULD BE DEVASTATING.

LEGISLATORS WERE PRESIDENT.

SENATOR BILL CASSIDY HAS BEEN OUTSPOKEN ABOUT THE BIDEN CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN AND HOW WHAT'S PLANNED IS A BIG WORRY FOR THE OIL PATCH.

THE GOVERNOR AND CASSIDY ARE TALKING WHAT STRATEGIC APPROACH THEY'LL USE FOR A POWWOW WITH THE PRESIDENT AND HIS CLIMATE INITIATIVES.

IF YOU WANT TO DECREASE GLOBAL GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS, IT SHOULD BE IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE WE HAVE BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDS IN WHICH TO DO SO AND COUPLE IT TO YOUR GREEN ENERGY INITIATIVES.

COVID SPREAD FROM MARDI GRAS 2020 IN NEW ORLEANS AND SO DID BIG MONEY THAT POURED INTO THE AREA.

IT HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MORE THAN $1 BILLION FOR THE BIG EASY.

THAT'S FROM A WALLETHUB SURVEY.

IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT ISN'T COMING IN THIS CARNIVAL SEASON.

THINGS YOU'D RATHER BE ACCUSED OF DOING TOO MUCH THAN TOO LITTLE, BRACING FOR HOW PEOPLE WILL RESPOND TO HER EFFORTS TO KEEP THE CITY SAFE.

MARDI GRAS ISN'T CANCELED, PER SE, BUT IT ALSO DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANY CARNIVAL WE'VE EVER SEEN.

THE SALES THROUGH FAT TUESDAY, THE MAYOR HOPES, WILL BE ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANOTHER SURGE.

HOTEL OCCUPANCIES ARE 40 TO 45% THEN DROPPING.

THE STATE ECONOMY SO DEPENDS ON THE SPENDING THAT COMES WITH THE VISITATION, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS ROUGH PATCH OF THE VIRUS AND TO DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO LOOK TO THE OTHER SIDE AND GET THE VACCINATIONS IN THE ARM TO GET PEOPLE MORE COMFORTABLE.

AND THE LAST THING ANYONE WANTS TO DO IS HURT SOMEONE ELSE, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY I'M -- WE'RE NOT AGGRESSIVE WITH COMMERCIALS AND GETTING PEOPLE IN, COME TO NEW ORLEANS, COME TO NEW ORLEANS.

THAT'S NOT ON THIS AT ALL.

THE MESSAGE IS, WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET UP AND COME IF THEY WANT.

BUT IF THEY COME, THEY'VE GOT TO BE SAFE.

AND IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT MARDI GRAS, WE KNOW THAT.

BUT THERE ARE THINGS PEOPLE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL AREAS THROUGH BATON ROUGE AND NEW ORLEANS, WE HAVE A LOT OF RETAIL THAT DEPENDS ON LOCALS AND ANYONE ELSE THAT COMES INTO TOWN TO SHOP AND SPEND THEIR DOLLARS HERE.

HOTELS HAVE THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF PROTOCOLS AND RESTAURANTS, AND THE ATTRACTIONS.

WE JUST ASK EVERYONE TO BE SAFE.

WE ARE IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE STATE.

AS A LOCAL, I WANT EVERYONE TO BE SAFE, AND ANYONE COMING INTO THE CITY, I WANT THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SAFE FOR US AS WELL.

THERE ARE FEW MARDI GRAS TWISTS THAT HAVE PEOPLE TURNING OUT AT LEAST IN THEIR CARS.

WE HAVE SEEN HOUSES DECORATE LIKE FLOATS, SO YOU CAN SEE THESE HOMES THAT HAVE TURNED THEMSELVES INTO STATIONARY FLOATS.

AND INSTEAD OF THE FLOAT COMING TO YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO THE FLOAT.

THAT'S A WAY TO EXPERIENCE MARDI GRAS AND SEE THE COLORS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENING AS THEY'RE LIT.

THERE'S ANOTHER EVENT THAT'S OCCURRING ON THE 12TH, 13TH, AND 14TH, THAT A FAMILY SPECIFICALLY IS DOING WHERE YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND EACH NIGHT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS EACH NIGHT THEY'RE BRINGING YOU ALL THE BEST THINGS ABOUT MARDI GRAS AND THE CULTURE OF NEW ORLEANS, THE MUSIC AND THE FOOD.

SO YOU CAN SIT HOME AND ENJOY MARDI GRAS WITHOUT GOING ANYWHERE, BECAUSE WE'RE COMING TO YOU THROUGH THAT MEANS.

AND THAT'S ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY NIGHT, THE 12TH, 13TH, AND 14TH.

THAT'S A VIRTUAL EVENT.

NEW ORLEANS.COM ALSO HAS INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE.

FLOATS IN THE YOLKS FROM VARIOUS CREWS, ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.

AND, AGAIN, IT'S A DRIVE-THROUGH.

THE PANDEMIC HAS DECIMATED THE HOSPITALITY IN PARTICULAR, BUT THE LOWER GARDEN DISTRICT SAID, WITH THE FLOAT HOUSES, NEW ORLEANIANS ARE USING THEIR CREATIVITY, AND IT'S EXCITING AND INSPIRING.

AND UPTOWN NEW ORLEANS, MAGAZINES, LABYRINTH -- I MEAN, DECORATED.

THEY LOOK LIKE HOUSE FLOATS.

AND WHAT I SEE, FLOWERS AND STARFISH AND EVERYBODY TO DECORATE THEIR HOUSES.

AND I ENJOY ST. CHARLES AVENUE LAST SUNDAY, AND IT WAS BUMPER TO BUMPER CARS, LIKE IT IS AT CHRISTMAS TIME.

TO SEE THE HOUSES?

TO SEE THE HOUSES.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL.

EVERYBODY I TALKED TO THAT'S A NEW ORLEANSIAN IS NOT LETTING THIS PANDEMIC -- I STAYED HERE FOR KATRINA AND WATCHED THE DOLDRUMS OVER THE CITY AND THIS PANDEMIC.

NOTHING CAN KEEP US DOWN.

WE JUST KEEP BOUNCING BACK UP.

WHETHER IT'S A HURRICANE OR A PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE OUR HOUSE.

AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN FOR MUCH OF THE PAST YEAR, THE FILM INDUSTRY IN THE STATE IS REALLY MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME, BUT WE FOUND ONE INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER, AN ABSOLUTE DYNAMO, WHO MANAGED TO KEEP WORKING THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

TAKE A LOOK.

THAT IS LOVELY.

LOVE IT, LOVE IT.

SEE, HAPPY EVERYONE.

SHE'S ON THE SET OF "GO FISHING," FILMING IN BATON ROUGE.

IT'S ONE THAT KEPT HER PRODUCTION COMPANY WORKING THROUGHOUT 2020, THROUGHOUT THE EMERGENCE OF COVID-19, WHILE MOST WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK SAFELY THROUGH A RAPIDLY SPREADING AND DEADLY PANDEMIC.

I'M NOT A PERSON TO -- BUT I WAS QUIET ABOUT FILMING BECAUSE I KNEW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE STRUGGLING, ESPECIALLY UNION WORKERS.

AND A LOT OF THEM WERE MY FRIENDS.

A LOT OF THEM WERE STRUGGLING, NOT GETTING ANY WORK.

AND WE WERE JUST FILMING AWAY.

AND WE WERE VERY CONSCIOUS AND CAREFUL ABOUT ALL THESE SORTS OF THINGS.

2020 WAS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD TO ME.

REALLY GOOD TO ME.

AND THE FILM INDUSTRY WAS HOPEFULLY YOU, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE WOULD BE SAYING THAT.

I'VE ONLY MET A FEW.

[LAUGHTER].

BUT YOU KNOW, ANDRE, GREAT MOMENTS DON'T JUST HAPPEN, THEY'RE MADE.

GREAT DAYS DON'T JUST HAPPEN, THEY'RE MADE.

GREAT YEARS ARE THE SAME.

AT SOME REASON YOU HAVE TO SAY, NO MORE EXCUSES, I'M GOING TO BE WHO I WANT TO BE, AND GO DO IT.

THAT ATTITUDE HAS SERVED HER WELL.

SHE LEFT HOME IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AT 19, LOOKING TO ACT, AND SHE DID.

AND MODEL.

AND SHE PUT HERSELF IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

BEFORE I BECAME A WRITER-DIRECTOR, AS A PRODUCER, TO PRODUCE FOR HIM, SO I WAS VERY FORTUNATE, AND I SLIGHTLY FELL INTO -- I KEPT LANDING ON SETS THAT DIDN'T HAVE A STRONG DIRECTOR AND I HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH ALL THESE DIRECTORS AND HAD ALREADY WORKED WITH THEM AND THEY TRUSTED ME, SO I STARTED PREDIRECTING THEM BEFORE THE SCENES WOULD BE FILMED, AND THAT'S SORT OF HOW I FELL INTO DIRECTING.

WILL YOU GUYS BE QUIET?

IT SEEMS THAT EVERY EXPERIENCE SHE'S EVER HAD HAS HELPED SHAPE WHERE SHE IS NOW.

SHE PLANS AND MOLDS WHAT SHE DOES, SO WHAT SHE DOES IS HERS.

I AM A STATISTICAL OUTLIER.

[LAUGHTER].

YOU'VE GOT THE SCENE AND THE ANSWERS, KIND OF A CIRCUS.

I HAD A VERY SOLID CREW AND A SET OF CAST MEMBERS THAT I TRUST EXTENSIVELY, AND I THINK THAT WAS KEY FOR ME.

I KNEW WHAT THEIR HABITS ARE AND THEY WERE ALL EXTREMELY -- I'M NOT GOING TO SAY -- WE'RE HIGHLY AWARE OF SANITATION AND BEING CIVILIZED AND WE JUST HAVE HIGH CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.

SO FOR COVID, IT WASN'T A HUGE CHANGE.

I DID EVERYTHING I DID BEFORE, BECAUSE I WAS LIVING LIKE THAT BEFORE.

I TAKE THE SAME TASK WITH ME, THE SAME FACE, AND I LOVE IT.

BUT PEOPLE THAT I CAN TRUST, AND TO ME, THAT'S KEY.

LIFE IN GENERAL IS NOT A LONE WOLF GAME.

IT'S A TEAM PACK GAME.

AND THE FILM INDUSTRY IS JUST A CONDENSED VERSION OF THAT.

AND LOUISIANA, WHICH SHE LOVES, IS THE BENEFICIARY.

I AM NOT GOING TO LIE.

I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD AND I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE PEOPLE, THE FOOD, THE ARTS, THE CULTURE OF LOUISIANA.

I REALLY HAVE.

LOUISIANA HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME.

GOOD, GOOD TO ME.

THE FILM INDUSTRY STATEWIDE HAD TO ADJUST AND KEEP ADJUSTING.

HOW DID WE WEATHER ALL OF THIS WHEN IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYBODY -- RIGHT NOW, WE'RE BACK TO OUR PRE-COVID NUMBERS.

AND SO IT'S REMARKABLE.

MOST OF THE STUFF THAT WAS HERE AT THE TIME, WHETHER IT WAS IN NCIS, YOUR HONOR, ALL OF US CAME BACK WITH THE TV PILOTS BEING SHOT, SHOOTING FOR FOX, AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE ALL THOSE PROJECTS COMING BACK.

AND AS THEY FINISH, WE'RE SEEING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROJECTS LINING UP.

AND WE OWE THAT TO MONET, A MISSISSIPPI GIRL WITH ENOUGH JOIR DE VE.

YOU CAN GO TO A HOUSE TWO BLOCKS AWAY AND FIND THE KINDEST, MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE ON THE PLANET, AND THEY WILL FEED YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND YOU DON'T FIND THAT ANYWHERE THAN RIGHT HERE IN THIS AREA.

THE PULPIT IS A PILLAR IN MOST BLACK COMMUNITIES, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS ITS ABILITY TO ACT AS A COMMUNICATION HUB FOR THE PEOPLE.

IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA THAT WAS CRUCIAL.

TONIGHT AS WE CONTINUE OUR LOUISIANA BLACK CHURCHES SPECIAL, WE EXPLORE HOW THE CHURCH WAS A BIG PART OF THAT MOVEMENT.

FOR IN THE -- THE BLACK RESIDENTS IN RURAL ST. FRANCISVILLE, CROSS BURNINGS WERE COMMON IN THE '60s.

THIS BAPTIST CHURCH THAT PAST, THIS BUILDING WAS ONCE A VICTIM OF WHITE SUPREMACY.

BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT BY LOOKING AT EITHER OF THEM.

DOES THIS BRING BACK MEMORIES STANDING RIGHT HERE?

I CAN REMEMBER THE WHITE WOODEN CHURCH.

♪ ♪ WE SHALL OVERCOME ♪ THE DECISION TO SIDE WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT COST THEM.

CROSSES BURNING ON HIS FRONT LAWN AND SHOTS FIRED.

AND IN 1963, HIS CHURCH WAS BOMBED.

YOU KNEW THESE WHITE PEOPLE WERE MEAN, VICIOUS.

THEY -- IF YOU WAS CAUGHT IN OUR LINE, YOU TRIED TO HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CONTACT WITH WHITES AS YOU POSSIBLY COULD.

AND WHAT LOUISIANA PARISH, PEOPLE OF COLOR DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER.

A LOT OF THEM WERE SHARECROPPERS THAT COULDN'T OWN LAWN, AND UNDER THE JIM CROW LAWS, THEY HAD LIMITED RIGHTS AS CITIZENS.

AND NO ONE BLACK COULD REGISTER TO VOTE.

WHERE COULD THEY GO TO GET OUT OF THE SITUATION?

THEY COULD TRY ORGANIZED MEETINGS AT HOUSES, BUT THAT MIGHT GET A FAMILY MEMBER SHOT OR A HOUSE BURNED DOWN.

NOT TO MENTION, THIS.

THE PEOPLE, AND -- WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE?

A CHURCH WAS THE PILLAR OF COMMUNICATION.

YOU GO TO THE CHURCH AND YOU'D DIDN'T HAVE TELEPHONE, TELEVISION.

SO WHEN SOMEONE HEARD ABOUT IT IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY'D GO TO THE CHURCH AND RING THE BELL.

AND YOU WOULD FIND MORE PEOPLE THERE THAN ANYPLACE ELSE.

THAT WAS TRUE OF MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH.

THAT'S WHERE THE SCHOOL WAS TAUGHT, AND THE PREACHER IS OUT FRONT OF EVERYTHING GOING ON.

BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY IS DEPENDING ON HIM TO TELL THEM WHAT'S GOING ON.

T.J. JENSEN, LIKE MANY BLACK PASTORS, WAS ONE OF THE BEST EDUCATED AND CONNECTED IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO HE ORGANIZED THE PROTEST, THE COMMUNITY FOLLOWED HIS LEAD.

THEY SET UP SEVERAL THINGS.

THEY DIDN'T ACHIEVE AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD HAVE, OR COULD HAVE, IN BATON ROUGE, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TRY TO GET -- THE SAME THING WITH DR. KING IN MONTGOMERY.

BUS BOYCOTTS AND OTHER NONVIOLENT PROTESTS SPREAD NOT JUST OVER THE SOUTH BY ALL OVER.

AND HIS FATHER OPENED THE DAY TO TWO LAWYERS.

THEY WERE THERE TO REGISTER TO GET OUT THE VOTE.

THEY SAID TO MY DAD, SIX OR SEVEN MEN, THAT YOU CAN TRUST, THAT CAN KEEP THEIR MOUTHS CLOSED.

THEY WERE MAINLY MEN OF THE CHURCH.

SO NATURALLY, THE MEETING PLACE WOULD END UP BEING A SANCTUARY.

FOR -- FOR -- UNTIL JULY, I BELIEVE, OF 1953.

SO REALLY GET ENOUGH PEOPLE.

IT STARTED AT THE CHURCH, BECAUSE THE PASTOR OF THAT CHURCH AND THE DEACONS WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO AGREED TO HAVE IT AT THE CHURCH.

BUT SINCE HE RECRUITED PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME TO VOTER REGISTRATION MEETINGS WHERE THEY COULD REGISTER TO VOTE.

IT WAS A SYSTEM THEY DESIGNED TO TRY TO KEEP YOU FROM VOTING.

SECRECY WAS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, BUT IT WAS ALMOST POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE.

I GOT OUT, IT WAS A JUNE OR JULY NIGHT.

WHITE PEOPLE KNEW THEY NEEDED TO GET RID OF THE COMMUNICATION HUB, SO THEY TRIED TO BOMB THE CHURCH.

AFTER THAT, PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETINGS DROPPED.

THEY WERE SCARED.

THIS WAS ALTOGETHER NEW TO BLACK PEOPLE, AND ALL THE BREADTHS COME OUT.

VINCENT'S DAD MOVED THEM TO THE MASON'S LODGE, AND THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD STAY UNTIL 1963, ELECTION YEAR.

WE HAD A HALL OF PEOPLE LIKE ME, GO VOTE ON THE 17 -- THE DEED WAS DONE.

THEY HOPED, BUT IT WAS STILL DONE.

THEIR FAITH HAD CARRIED THEM THROUGH.

FOR MORE ON THIS SERIES OF REPORTS AND A RECORDING OF A PANEL DISCUSSION COVERING THIS TOPIC AND MANY OTHERS, GO TO LPB.ORG/THEBLACKCHURCH WHERE YOU'LL FIND A VARIETY OF RESOURCES.

AND TUNE IN FOR THE PREMIERE OF THE PBS SERIES “THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG” WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.

THIS TWO-PART SERIES AIRS NEXT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M.

RIGHT HERE ON LPB.

WE ARE SENDING A SHOUT-OUT TO BATON ROUGE MAYOR SHARON WESTON BROOME.

THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS FEATURED HER WORK TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHIER FOOD FOR PARTS OF THE CITY.

BROOME HAS BEEN SINGLED OUT BY THE MAYORS FOR THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH DOLLAR GENERAL STORES SHE WORKED TO MAKE HAPPEN.

TWO OF THEIR STORES WILL BEGIN SELLING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN AN AREA OF BATON ROUGE WITHOUT A NEARBY GROCERY STORE.

GREAT WORK THERE.

THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR THIS WEEK.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN WATCH ANYTHING LPB ANYTIME, WHEREVER YOU ARE, WITH OUR LPB APP.

YOU CAN CATCH LPB NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS SHOWS AS WELL AS OTHER LOUISIANA PROGRAMS YOU'VE COME TO ENJOY OVER THE YEARS.

AND PLEASE LIKE US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM.

FOR EVERYONE AT LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING, I'M ANDRE' MOREAU, I'M KARA ST. CYR.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, THAT'S THE STATE WE'RE IN.

CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY LNS CAPTIONING www.lnscaptioning.com P www.lnscaptioning.com ENTERGY IS PROUD TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMING ON LPB AND GREENER PRACTICES THAT PRESERVE LOUISIANA.

THE GOAL OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES REALLY IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR KIDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN BE LEFT WITH A CLEANER PLANET.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE FRED B.

AND RUTH B. ZIEGLER FOUNDATION AND THE ZIEGLER ART MUSEUM LOCATED IN JENNINGS CITY HALL.

THE MUSEUM FOCUSES ON EMERGING LOUISIANA ARTISTS AND IS AN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

AND THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING WITH SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

WHEN MORNING CAME TO LOUISIANA, WE WERE HOPEFUL, NOT HIBERNATING.

WE WERE STRONGER, WAITING FOR WHAT'S NEXT.

AND WE STAND READY TO SUPPORT YOU.