Jas M. Sullivan - The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus: Race and Representation in the Pelican State

Race and Representation in the Pelican State

Jas M. Sullivan and Jonathan Winburn

Foreword by Yvonne Dorsey

Published by Louisiana State University Press

Copyright 2011 by Louisiana State University Press

All rights reserved

Manufactured in the United States of America

FIRST PRINTING

DESIGNER: Mandy McDonald Scallan

TYPEFACE: Minion Pro

PRINTER: McNaughton & Gunn, Inc.

BINDER: Acme Bookbinding, Inc.

All charts and other figures were drawn by Mary Lee Eggart.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sullivan, Jas M.

The Louisiana legislative Black caucus : race and representation in the Pelican State / Jas M. Sullivan and Jonathan Winburn ; foreword by Yvonne Dorsey.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8071-4036-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8071-4037-6 (pdf) ISBN 978-0-8071-4038-3 (epub) ISBN 978-0-8071-4039-0 (mobi)

1. Louisiana. LegislatureCaucuses. 2. African American legislatorsLouisiana. 3. African AmericansLouisianaPolitics and government. 4. LouisianaPolitics and government1951 I. Winburn, Jonathan, 1977 II. Title.

JK4768.S85 2011

328.763076dc22

2011016043

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

For

My wife and son

Samaah and Malik

because of their love, patience, and support

J.M.S.

For

My girls: Amanda, Addison, and Julia

J.C.W.

As a member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus for sixteen years, I have personally experienced the ebb and flow of the political battle in both Louisianas house and its senate. Therefore, I looked forward to reading this book with considerable interest and perhaps a bit of skepticism. Would they get it right? I am pleased to say that indeed they got it more than right.

This book provides original research that will prove eye-opening for anyone interested in the issues of minority representation. You will find trends and issues illuminated here that are sometimes obscure even to the participants, distracted as we can be by the cluttering details and passions in the trenches.

Louisiana politics has a decidedly rough-and-tumble, populist bent. One unfortunate side effect is that there are precious few true statesmen and stateswomen in the state legislature; they are as out of place here as deer in a den of tigers. This may also be why our states political consultants, like James Carville, Raymond Strother, and others weaned on Louisianas predatory politics, occasionally emerge to devour the national sheep. Let this serve as a reminder why anyone interested in the democratic process may find a deeper understanding of Louisiana politics to be of considerable practical value.

At present, all members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus come from districts in which minorities constitute the majority of voters. There is a reason for this: neither political party has ever thrown its financial or organizational support behind an African American candidate in any political jurisdiction in which a white candidate had the least chance of winning. Not once. Blacks and whites may work together, but we are segregated after five oclock and on Sundays. Racism is surreal in Louisiana. It is important to understand, too, that many of the ways in which we carry out our mission are unsung, found in the hundreds of insidiously racially biased and one-sided bills we defeat.

Yet all of us in the Black Caucus recognize another serious responsibility: we are the sole representatives of Louisianas poor population. Yes, the majority of Louisiana blacks, 80 percent or more, are poor, but many, many whites also suffer in poverty. These whites are seriously underrepresented; whites on welfare are not the ones being elected. Recently, a desperately impoverished majority-black district elected a new white senator and then watched as his first act was a whirlwind of legislative legerdemain to get them... a million-dollar golf course. What a conundrum for the citizens: a bag of rice or a bag of golf balls? Which should they use their few dollars to buy? Unfortunately, this is not an isolated instance. It has become the norm. The Black Caucus, as part of our mission, undertakes to implement and promote policies that allow all citizens ready access to education and economic advancement. We do not distinguish between one poor person and another in our mission statement or in our actions.

There is a deep cultural divide in the manner in which black and white constituents approach their political leaders and the types of problems they believe are appropriate for them to solve at particular political levels. These differences often puzzle and confuse our white colleagues, who frequently come to members of the Black Caucus for help and instruction on how to handle various problems brought to them by their black constituents. In this sense, we few are responsible for representing virtually all black voters throughout Louisiana.

Unfortunately, Louisiana can never erase its history. However, the members of the Black Caucus know that we must face that past honestly, learn from it, and work hard to minimize current manifestations of racial distrust. In such efforts, we strive to ensure the fair and equal treatment of all Louisianians under state law.

In this book you will find hard numbers and careful analyses that demonstrate how difficult this task has been. You may also find the inspiration to join us.

Yvonne Dorsey
Louisiana State Senator

We are grateful to the many people who have guided, supported, and encouraged us on this project. When Jas Sullivan first went to Louisiana State University, he taught a course titled Blacks and the American Political System. The then speaker pro tempore of the Louisiana house, Yvonne Dorsey (now a state senator), was in the class. After a discussion about Sullivans research interests, Speaker Dorsey commented, If your research interests are on the experiences of black legislators, I will do all I can to help. That conversation and her kindness set this project in motion. Without her help, writing this book would have been very difficult. No words can adequately express our gratitude to her. We would also like to thank the many people on her staff, as well as her contacts in the community who helped with this project: Joseph A. Delpit, Randy K. Haynie, Kenyatta Morris, Patsy Parker, and Patrick Wallace. We are also indebted to the members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (LLBC) who agreed to be interviewed. The information we gained in those interviews gave us a richer understanding about their everyday legislative experiences and provided a context for understanding our empirical findings. Additionally, the LLBC staff was instrumental in providing much-needed information regarding the caucuss history, past and current members, and other resources. Lastly, we would like to thank the staff at the LSU Press for their extraordinary support and assistance throughout the publishing process.