The city of Shreveport, Louisiana, has formally apologized for the desecration of a church, the beating of a civil rights activist and the arrest of 18 high school students in September 1963.
NEW ORLEANS — The Rev. Asriel McLain was 10 years old when mounted police in Shreveport, Louisiana, burst through the doors at his father’s church, where a memorial service had been held for four girls killed in a church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, in September 1963.
It happened at a time when Shreveport’s then-police commissioner, the late George D’Artois, was known for squelching civil rights demonstrations.“The police brought horses up the steps of the church, grabbed and left manure everywhere,” McLain recalled. “After they beat up Rev. Blake, he came up the stairs and I heard my mother scream like I never had before.
“The students were met by Police Chief George D’Artois and a mob of armed officers on foot and in squad cars. The students were ordered back to school but stood their ground in protest for the beating to Reverend Harry Blake on Sunday, September 22, 1963,” reads Resolution 18.“When the children refused to turn back, police brutally attacked them with batons and teargas,” the resolution continues. “Students frantically ran from officers and returned to the campus of Booker T.
Now pastor of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Shreveport, Austin, 75, said the apologies were “long overdue.”
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Space junk heading for Moon will add to 60+ years of lunar debrisIn an upcoming collision, a spent rocket booster will be the first long-circulating piece of human-made debris to smash into the lunar surface.
Read more »
Meet FLIP, the 60-Year-Old Research Platform That FlipsFLIP is a 355 feet long floating research platform that flips in open waters since 1962. How do scientists and other members of the crew live inside it?
Read more »
Son charged with murder after mother found dead in Wimberley home, deputies sayBREAKING: A man is in custody and charged with murder after Hays County deputies said they found his 60-year-old mother dead inside of their Wimberley home.
Read more »
Mother’s Boyfriend Charged After 6-Year-Old-Boy Beaten To DeathA man is charged with the death of a young boy of his girlfriend in Round Lake Beach Friday.
Read more »
New Fiat 500 Wins GQ City Car of the Year, MG4 Electric Hatchback — EV News TodayNew Fiat 500 has been named City Car of the Year at the 2022 GQ Car Awards – taking fully-electric car tally of awards up to 25
Read more »