One of the burning questions nagging some of the parents involved in the Jefferson Parish desegregation process is, "who is Gideon Carter representing?"
Well, in the open meeting of the Community Task Force July 28th, 2009, Mr. Carter firmly stated that he has been hired to represent Lena Vern Dandridge, a list of other families in the original class suit and all the "black children" within the Jefferson Parish Public School System. In his effort to present the evidence for who his clients are he distributed a few copies of the original complaint which was filed in the US District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana by attorneys Lionel R. Collins, A.P. Tureaud, A.M. Trudeau and Ernest N Morial and served to Jefferson Parish School Board and Mr. Paul J. Solis, Superintendent on July 31, 1964.
While reading the document it appealed to me to restate the actual statement in the document that spells out the responsibility that Mr. Carter has accepted:
"Plaintiffs brings this action as a class suit pursuant to Rule 23(a)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on behalf of themselves and on behalf of the other Negro children and their parents in Jefferson Parish, similarly situated, all of whom are affected by the policy, practice, custom and usage complained of herein as more fully appears. The members of the class on behalf of which plaintiffs sue are so numerous as to make it impractical to bring them all individually before this Court, but there are common questions of law and fact involved, common grievances arising out of common wrongs and common relief is sought for each of the plaintiffs individually and for each member of the class. Plaintiffs fairly and adequately represent the interests of the class."
Are we to assume the common grievances and wrongs are the same in 2009 as they were in 1964? Some are...this is shameful. Others are not...our "Attorney" should know what these are. Let us hear your voices. You may write them here or send your hand written letters to me to pass along to Mr. Carter:
Dr. Marion L. Carroll
P.O. Box 68
Harvey LA 70059
I, Mark Bolden Sr. speak as a African-American parent of over20 years in the Jefferson Parish School System. I have encounted many differences in this stystem and have spoken out on many of the issues that my childen face as child of color in this system. Mr. Paul J. Solis has a school name in his honor, in which my three (3) childen attended. This school was above all in the Parish, but the difference we face today my wife and I face yeARS ago. All I want now is for the system to be FAIR and it's not. Two of my childen have gone on to higher education in colleges in Louisiana and Texas proudly. But the fight goes on. Fairness is all I and my love ones ask for. Mr. Bolden
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