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Bill to restrict youth access to ‘sexually explicit’ public library books advances in Louisiana

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Bill to restrict youth access to ‘sexually explicit’ public library books advances in Louisiana


BATON ROUGE, La. — Activists in Louisiana are voicing concerns over a bill advancing through the GOP-controlled Legislature to restrict children and teens’ access to public library books deemed “sexually explicit,” saying the proposal could be used to target LGBTQ+ content.

Around the country this year, lawmakers have debated banning gender-affirming care for minors, restricting bathroom access of transgender students and determining what shouldn’t be discussed in school curriculums. Now, legislators are facing questions about what material should be accessible in public and school libraries, often focusing on books with LGBTQ+ themes.

Louisiana’ s bill, which advanced out of a legislative committee Tuesday and is headed to the full House for debate and possible final passage, would require public libraries to create a card system that would prevent children from checking out “sexually explicit material” unless they have parental approval. Additionally, the bill would allow parents to bring books they feel are inappropriate to a local board for review of the material.

Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, who is running for governor this year, attended Tuesday’s committee meeting in which he urged lawmakers to support the bill. He described the proposed policy as similar to parental controls on Netflix or the Motion Picture Association’s film rating system.

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“All this bill does is simply ensure that our libraries are grading books, that are coming into them, and placing them on age appropriate shelves,” Landry said.

Republicans argue that legislation limiting access to certain content is not meant to target the queer community, but rather to protect children from accessing inappropriate material and strengthening parental rights. Across the aisle, however, opponents say this is another attack on the LGBTQ+ community’s existence and that it addresses an issue that is not an immediate problem and could result in censorship.

From Florida to North Dakota, bills seeking to ban certain books or limit minors’ access to the material are being debated.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry talks to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Jan. 7, 2022, in Washington. Activists in Louisiana are voicing concerns over a bill advancing in the GOP-controlled House to bar children and teens from accessing public library books deemed “sexually explicit,” saying the proposal could be used to target LGBTQ+ content. They also warned of efforts by Republican Attorney General Landry, who is also a gubernatorial candidate, to investigate such explicit material. Credit: AP/Evan Vucci

In Florida, Iowa and Indiana, lawmakers have passed bills that would require school libraries to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles, making it easier to censor certain materials. In North Dakota, Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, recently signed a bill into law that would bar explicit materials from the children’s sections of local and school libraries.

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A recent study by The American Library Association found that books with LGBTQ+ themes remain the most likely targets of bans or attempted bans. Similarly, after Landry launched a statewide tip line in Louisiana last year — to field complaints about librarians, teachers, and school and library personnel — he released a report that listed nine books his office considers “sexually explicit” or inappropriate for children. Seven have LGBTQ+ storylines.

“What we discovered in those libraries were graphic illustrations of young adults engaging in sexual activities, detailed descriptions of young adults engaging in sexual acts, books that discuss how to perform said deeds,” Landry said, calling those “very disturbing things.”

Librarians, across the state have repeatedly said that graphic sexual materials are not in children’s sections, but rather shelved in adult areas of the building. Additionally, they say that public libraries already have “policies in place to safeguard children from sexually explicit material” and that every library has a system in which community members can challenge or file concerns about a book.

“I’ve been disheartened to see people in our state paint an inaccurate portrait of and disinformation about our state’s libraries,” said Amanda Jones, president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. “We have never had an issue with our libraries until they started being used for political gain.”

Under Louisiana’s proposed legislation, libraries that fail to implement the new policy would be at risk of financial penalties — as the State Bond Commission would be forbidden from approving financial packages for library construction projects and local governments can choose to withhold funding.

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Other states have also proposed punishments for those who don’t comply with similar restrictions. In North Dakota, a bill that was vetoed by the governor had proposed criminal penalties for librarians who refuse to remove offending books. In Oklahoma, libraries face a downgrade in accreditation if found in violation of new rules that target books with “pornographic” or “sexualized content.”

The Louisiana bill, if it passes, would be sent to the desk of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has not said whether he would veto such legislation. If the bill ultimately becomes law, it would take effect Aug. 1.



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Louisiana Considered’s most memorable interviews from 2024

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Louisiana Considered’s most memorable interviews from 2024


2024 was a busy year for Louisiana Considered. Here are some of our favorite stories and interviews, picked by our hosts.

Food historian Zella Palmer’s new podcast explores intersection of cuisine and culture

Zella Palmer, local food historian and the director and chair of Dillard University’s Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture tells us about her new podcast, “Culture and Flavor.” She interviews chefs, restaurateurs and culture bearers in the New Orleans community who share their culinary journeys. Some guests come from as far away as South Carolina’s Gullah/Geeche islands, Canada’s Northern Territories and even West Africa. All have found an intersection between traditional Crescent City Cuisine and the meals connected to their cultures.

Our host Karen Henderson loved hearing about Zella’s childhood, and the numerous guests from around the world who shared their cuisines at her parents’ dinner table. It brought up emotions around foods from her childhood, like her grandmother’s candied sweet potatoes and her aunt’s homemade biscuits.

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Oral history project celebrates artist Clementine Hunter

Another story that stood out for Karen was about the  LSU Museum of Art’s oral history project on artist Clementine Hunter. Born in 1887, Hunter was a self-taught Black folk artist, who lived and worked on Melrose Plantation and depicted early 20th century plantation life in her work. Before her death in 1988 at the age of 101, Hunter became the first artist to have a solo show at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

LSU Museum of Art educator and public programs manager Callie Smith, and LSU graduate student and interviewer Sarah Nansubuga, told us how they used conversations with Hunter’s family to capture her story.

“As the researchers dug into Clementine’s life story, they learned things about her personality, interests and relationships that added color to her life. This wasn’t just any story about any artist. Through oral history interviews, the researchers gave us a fuller picture of who Clementine Hunter really was,” Karen said.

Baquet exhibit showcases decades of Black life in NOLA

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Diane Mack’s pick was our story about Loyola University’s College of Music and Media’s exhibit celebrating Harold Baquet, a legendary New Orleans photographer who spent 30 years capturing the city, specifically Black political figures and daily life. “A Tribute to Harold Baquet: Picturing Blackness” features Baquet’s works and the works of 10 local photographers he inspired. We spoke with L. Kasimu Harris, the photographer and exhibit curator, and Cheron Brylski, wife of the late Harold Baquet and former political speechwriter and press secretary.

In addition to Harold’s incredible talent, this conversation was personal for Diane, as she knew Harold and his wife Cheron. She would bump into them at City Hall back in the ‘80’s as a reporter covering stories for WDSU TV. It was fun to catch up on old times with Cheron, and most of all, to chat about Harold’s legacy and photos that continue to garner attention today.

Alexandria native to debut film about his hometown

Many filmmakers across the country flock to New York or LA with the goal of creating blockbuster hits in big markets. But 24-year-old filmmaker Justin Carmouche headed back to his hometown in Louisiana for his first feature film. Justin, who is also known as “Mouche,” spoke to us about his filmmaking journey and his new movie, “Alexandria.”

“Justin has been making films since he was 13! Let that sink in for a moment. He was so young when he knew filmmaking was his calling and he basically bloomed where he was planted, never forgetting his hometown of Alexandria. And he followed his dream to uplift his community through art,” Diane said.

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LSU’s Vernon Norwood reflects on journey after winning gold at Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics saw no shortage of impressive feats from Louisiana athletes. Of the nearly 30 competitors who went to or currently attend LSU, eight came home with medals. Track athlete Vernon Norwood came home with two, a silver in the mixed 4 x 400 relay and a gold in the men’s 4 x 400 relay – for which he was also a defending champion. Norwood spoke to us about his incredible performance and unexpected journey to the Olympics.

“He talked about using sports as his path out of the life situation he was in where he grew up. He wrote an essay about all of this called The Way Out, and how he went from not thinking he would ever attend college to landing atop an Olympic platform. He spoke about the support he had along the way, and how despite four medals, his greatest achievement is his college degree,” said host Adam Vos.

Creative writing workshop for aging storytellers

Everybody has a story to tell, but not everyone has the confidence, training or even the right words to tell it. But at the Arts Council of Baton Rouge , a new creative writing workshop encourages storytellers — specifically those 55 years old and up — to put pen to paper.

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Pam Bordelon, participant, editor and facilitator spoke to us about this workshop and the anthology of short stories recently published by participants.

Adam enjoyed hearing about the experience working with people who don’t think of themselves as writers, but learned to put pen to page. While writing can sometimes feel like a gatekept practice, Adam enjoyed learning how many participants gained the confidence to tell their stories. After all, with 55+ years of life experiences, there were no shortages of stories to tell.

‘A King Like Me’ gives intimate look at NOLA’s oldest Black Krewe

This fall saw the premiere of the documentary, “A King Like Me,” which takes an intimate look at the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, the oldest Black Krewe in New Orleans. But while the film celebrates the club’s history, it also examines some of the difficult things members have had to grapple with, like the pandemic, Hurricane Ida and gun violence. The film’s director, Matthew Henderson, and one of the stars of the film, Terrance Rice, told us about this deep dive into Zulu’s history and legacy.

Our host, Bob Pavlovich was interested to learn about Zulu’s community engagement, which has also been a part of the krewe’s tradition as a social aid and pleasure club. He was also intrigued by the krewe’s origins and inspiration from Vaudeville and Theatre, their good-natured ribbing of White Society from the very start; and their resilience, through segregation, Katrina, and the pandemic to remain a Mardi Gras mainstay.

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Lafayette man creates one of world’s hottest peppers

“Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People” is a new Hulu docuseries that chases so-called “chili heads” around the country as they hunt for the spiciest pepper. One of the stops is Lafayette, Louisiana, where Troy “Primo” Primeaux promotes his 7-Pot Primo as one of the hottest peppers in the world. Primo spoke to us about his creation, the world of chili pepper eating and the new Hulu series.

Bob was struck by Primo’s intensity and passion. After all, he discovered the spicy pepperworld after a career in Rock and Roll music. He needed something else that gave him the same adrenaline rush as performing on stage, and peppers filled this void.

Steve Gleason explores life, career, family and journey with ALS in new memoir, ‘A Life Impossible’

Most New Orleanians’ first memory of Steve Gleason is when the former Saints player blocked a punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the team’s first game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

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But in the years since, Gleason’s been living with ALS, a disease that attacks nerve cells and renders patients unable to move, speak and breathe on their own. Still, Gleason has had some extraordinary accomplishments since his diagnosis, like fathering two children, founding Team Gleason, and most recently, writing a memoir, titled ‘ A Life Impossible.’ He spoke about writing a book with his eyes, and what his memoir reveals about his life, family and journey with ALS.

The interview process itself was intensely emotional for our managing producer, Alana Schreiber. She first met Steve after competing for his charity, Team Gleason, at the Crescent City Classic. Once Steve agreed to an interview, she submitted the questions weeks in advance so he would have time to prepare answers. She was invited into his home to record the interview live, where his answers were thoughtful and eye-opening. Because Alana has a friend living with ALS, this interview was all the more meaningful and she’s endlessly grateful to Steve and his family for their generosity.

LSU’s first Black homecoming queen

In November, LSU celebrated 100 years of Tiger Stadium in a game against Ole Miss. Throughout the fall, Louisiana Considered marked the centennial with a series of stories on the history of Death Valley.

Renée Boutte Myer, the first Black student to be crowned homecoming queen at LSU, spoke with our intern Martin Sullivan, about what she remembers from the night she made history.

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Why this stands out to Alana: The night Renée Boutte Myer was crowned homecoming queen was the same night as Louisiana’s gubernatorial election between David Duke and Ed Edwards. She spoke to us about being publicly recognized on an evening that was already rife with political and racial tension. She was honest about her experience, the positive memories and the more disturbing ones.





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Heart of Louisiana: Savoy Music

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Heart of Louisiana: Savoy Music


NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – You can feel the strong Cajun tradition the moment you step inside the Savoy Music Center near the southwest Louisiana city of Eunice.

The blend of strong black coffee, the savory aroma of boudin sausage, lively conversations, and the music create an atmosphere that is unmistakably Cajun.

For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

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Army Black Knights, Louisiana Tech Offensive Stars To Watch in Independence Bowl

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Army Black Knights, Louisiana Tech Offensive Stars To Watch in Independence Bowl


The Independence Bowl will be a game of offensive contrasts as the Army West Point Black Knights face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday at Independence Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 9:15 p.m. eastern on ESPN.

Army (11-2) enters the game using its run-based attack based on option, deception and power football. If the Black Knights don’t have 34 or 35 minutes of time of possession by game’s end, then they haven’t done their job. Army can create big plays, but the Black Knights would rather grind its opponents down to submission.

Louisiana Tech (5-7) runs a pass-based, Air Raid offense that coach Sonny Cumbie learned from one of his coaches and mentors, the legendary Mike Leach. The former Texas Tech quarterback doesn’t have the talent he needs to make it as effective as the Red Raiders’ glory days offensively. But, he’s found a quarterback that could help get him there in the coming years — if the Bulldogs can hang onto him.

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This is the transfer portal era after all.

Here are three offensive players to watch for each team going into Saturday’s contest.

QB Bryson Daily

Daily was the American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year and was sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. He is the focal point of this offense. He’s rushed for 1,532 yards and 29 touchdowns (tied for most in FBS) and has thrown for another 942 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. If LA Tech wants to win, it has to slow him down. Look at the Navy tape for a template.

RB Noah Short

With Kanye Udoh’s transfer to Arizona State, the bulk of the complementary backfield work may fall to short, who was the Black Knights’ third-leading rusher this season. He rushed for 542 yards and two touchdowns but gained more yards per carry (7.7) than Udoh (6.2).

This is Daily’s swan song so he’ll get plenty of work. But Short needs to be a solid complement. He’s also one of Army’s top passing targets with 17 catches for 318 yards and three touchdowns.

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WR Casey Reynolds

Reynolds leads the Black Knights with 19 receptions for 444 yards and three touchdowns. When Daily looks for a big play down the field, count on Reynolds to be the receiver he’s looking for. It’s been that way all season.

QB Evan Bullock

He finally emerged with the starting job in late September and the freshman ended up with 1,938 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions as he completed 67% of his passes. That’s a solid start in an offense that requires quick passing and high accuracy. Bullock has both, but he’s also been sacked 31 times.

RB Omiri Wiggins

The running game can be afterthought in an Air Raid offense. But Wiggins is coming off a huge game in LA Tech’s finale, as he rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns and three interceptions against Kennesaw State. That was more than a quarter of his output this season (487 yards, four touchdowns).

WR Tru Edwards

The senior is from Shreveport, La., so this is like coming home. And he’s had a huge year for the Bulldogs. Edwards is their leading receiver by a significant margin, with 77 receptions for 897 yards and six touchdowns. He’s caught 25 passes in his last three games but hasn’t found the end zone.



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