In April 1954, a month before the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Western District of Louisiana ordered the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as the Southwestern Louisiana Institute, to admit African American students into its fold. The permanent injunction, in the case known as Constantine v. SLI, came in July 1954, two months after Brown. The federal court's decision resulted in the university becoming the first higher education institution in the Deep South to desegregate, forever changing the historical landscape and destiny for decades to come.  

Join Ruth Foote in discussing the 76 black students who integrated the university 70 years ago.  

Light reception begins at 5:30 PM with lecture to follow at 6 PM.

Program is free to attend, but registration is recommended.

Unable to attend in person? Register for the livestream.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ruth Foote, author, historian, and community volunteer is an award-winning journalist who served as the co-founder and editor of Creole Magazine. Foote has also freelanced for The Acadiana Advocate and The Times of Acadiana. She received her M.A. in Public History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.