Meet the President & CEO

 In 1953, there was a bus boycott in the City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana lead by Rev. Theodore Judson Jemison, Pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church and President of the National Baptist Convention. Almost two years later, his colleague and friend, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called and visited Rev. Jemison to get information on conducting a non-violent direct action in the form of a bus boycott. Also, in 1955, the MIA (The Montgomery Improvement Association – 1955-1969) of clergy and civic leaders was formed with Rev. King as its President. Other leaders in the formation of the MIA were Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy, JoAnn Robinson and Edgar D. Nixon. As faith would have it or perhaps staged as claimed by some, Montgomery (AL) NAACP Branch Secretary Rosa Louise McCauley Parks refused to move to the back of the bus after paying the required fare and taking a seat. Her actions lead to a boycott of city busses which lasted 381 days. 

From 1953-1957, Dr. King made numerous visits to Louisiana for meetings, rallies, and other activities, especially the three largest cities of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport which coincidentally all recently elected their first African American female Mayor. Dr. King had a very close relationship with New Orleanians Joseph Verrett, Marcus Neustadter, Constant Charles Dejoie, Sr., Rev. Abraham Lincoln Davis, Jr., Rev. Avery Alexander, Lloyd A. Richards, and Dr. Leonard Burns. They were all a part of the February 1, 1957 rally at the New Orleans Coliseum Arena located at 401 North Roman Street. Where despite inclement weather, more than two thousand gathered to hear Dr. King speak. Other locations in New Orleans where Dr. King spoke included: The Lawless Memorial Chapel at Dillard University, Union Bethel A.M.E. Church at 2321 Thalia Street, and the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) Union Hall.  SCLC MEMBERS PICTURED (L-R): Clarence "Chink" Henry, Earl A. Amedee, Ernest "Dutch" Morial, Ellis Hull, Benny Ross, and Rev. A.L. Davis.