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The Current joins Deep South Today - Verite News New Orleans

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richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Sep 9

Exciting news for @veritenews.org @deepsouthtoday.org : The Current, a nonprofit news organization serving Lafayette and South Louisiana, is joining Deep South Today, a nonprofit network of local newsrooms that serves communities in Louisiana and Mississippi. veritenews.org/2025/09/09/t...

The Lafayette, Louisiana newsroom joins Verite News and Mississippi Today in the nonprofit news network.

Q&A: L. Kasimu Harris on the life of New Orleans’ Black bars - Verite News New Orleans

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Sep 8

@veritenews.org L. Kasimu Harris discusses his photo series “Vanishing Black Bars and Lounges," and the reasons why these important institutions in Black communities are disappearing.

veritenews.org/2025/09/08/k...

Harris, whose photo series “Vanishing Black Bars and Lounges” documents the Black community fixtures, will have his work featured in a new MoMA exhibit this month.

Prosecutors ask state’s highest court to reinstate death row inmate Jimmie Duncan’s conviction - Verite News New Orleans

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Sep 1

More than a month after a court heard La. death row inmate Jimmie Duncan's bail request, he remains in prison as prosecutors seeks to have his death sentence reinstated. Earlier this year a judge ruled that he was factually innocent. @veritenews.org veritenews.org/2025/09/01/j...

Duncan’s 1998 conviction was vacated in April after a judge found it was based in part on discredited science, but prosecutors are fighting his release.

Immigrants helped rebuild New Orleans, then they set down roots. Under Trump, some worry they’ll be forced to leave.

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Verite News @veritenews.org · Aug 29

Immigrants helped rebuild New Orleans, then they set down roots. Under Trump, some worry they’ll be forced to leave.

Katrina brought an influx of Latin American immigrants, often undocumented, seeking work in the city. Many stayed, opening businesses and building communities here.

Katrina brought an influx of Latin American immigrants, often undocumented, seeking work in the city. Many stayed, opening businesses and building communities here.

‘They broke us down’: New Orleans teachers, fired after Katrina, reflect on lives upended - Verite News New Orleans

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richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 29

Such an incredibly well-written story by Michelle Liu and Safura Syed for @veritenews.org More than 7k New Orleans teachers and support staff lost their jobs under a post-Katrina education overhaul — and became part of a narrative they couldn’t control. shorturl.at/0HUgr

More than 7,000 New Orleans public school teachers and support staff lost their jobs under a post-Katrina education overhaul — and became part of a narrative they couldn’t control.

shorturl.at

Verite News partners with WWNO, WRKF for 'What Was Lost' podcast

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 26

Since Jan., @veritenews.org has been exploring the loss that New Orleanians experienced during Katrina and the aftermath in the series “What Was Lost.” Now, in partnership with WWNO and WRKF, we have turned “What Was Lost” into a 5-part podcast. shorturl.at/JXY6v

Since January, Verite News has been exploring the immense loss that New Orleanians experienced during Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of the disaster in the series “What Was Lost.” We’ve heard fro...

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An Unconstitutional “Jim Crow Jury” Sent Him to Prison for Life. A New Law Aims to Keep Him There.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

13- The Landry administration did not respond to requests for comment. A former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana who prosecuted the case in 1980, did not respond to requests for comment.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

12- Read the full story here: www.propublica.org/article/loui...

Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — “tough on crime” state leaders have ensured t...

www.propublica.org

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

11–“When you’re sent to prison with a life sentence, they send you here to die,” said Gray. “After 45 years, I’m no closer to freedom than the day I walked into this place.”

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

10–Gray has a court hearing Aug. 26 that could decide his fate, but there is a growing chance he could spend the remainder of his life in prison, even though his conviction would be unconstitutional today.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

9–But Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law last year that guts the ability of prosecutors to broker such deals, cutting off the last remaining avenue of relief for those imprisoned by nonunanimous juries.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

8–In 2022, the New Orleans DA proposed a potential deal to Gray’s attorneys that would have secured his release: If he pleaded guilty to forcible rape, he would walk. The lesser charge carried a maximum sentence of 40 years; Gray had already served 41.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

7. 1,000+ people currently imprisoned in Louisiana were convicted by split juries — ruled as unconstitutional in 2020. Yet the state Supreme Court has declined to grant new trials, and lawmakers have repeatedly denied a reexamination of their cases.

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richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

6-The DA’s office does not dispute the swastika’s existence or that a staff member might have drawn it more than 40 years ago, according to a September filing by prosecutors.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

5. Suspecting that Lloyd Gray was convicted in 1980 due to racial bias, his attorney discovered last year that someone in the DA’s office had drawn a swastika on Gray’s file. “You never think that you’re going to find it in black and white like that.”

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richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

4. In 1980, a Black man, 19, was sentenced to life — despite the jury being split. 10 white people voted guilty. The only 2 Black jurors not guilty. “I knew that my voice would not matter,” said one of the two Black jurors. “I cannot believe that Lloyd Gray is still in prison.”

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

3. “There are a lot of injustices in our legal system we can’t fix. And yet, here is this issue that is so clear and obvious,” one law professor said. “When I look at Louisiana, It's really heartbreaking.”

Louisiana Is trying to block Lloyd Gray from seeking freedom

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

2. When Louisiana put “Jim Crow juries” in place after the Civil War, they wanted to make sure Black jurors couldn’t stand in the way of convictions. The state is the last place where such verdicts still stand. From @veritenews.org @propublica.org

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richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

1. Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that non-unanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — tough-on-crime leaders in the state have ensured that doesn’t change anything. 🧵 veritenews.org/2025/08/25/l...

Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for Lloyd Gray — and hundreds of other Louisiana prisoners — “tough on crime” state leaders have ens...

An Unconstitutional “Jim Crow Jury” Sent Him to Prison for Life. A New Law Aims to Keep Him There.

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richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

13- The Landry administration did not respond to requests for comment. A former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana who prosecuted the case in 1980, did not respond to requests for comment.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

12- Read the full story here: www.propublica.org/article/loui...

Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — “tough on crime” state leaders have ensured t...

www.propublica.org

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

11–“When you’re sent to prison with a life sentence, they send you here to die,” said Gray. “After 45 years, I’m no closer to freedom than the day I walked into this place.”

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

10–Gray has a court hearing Aug. 26 that could decide his fate, but there is a growing chance he could spend the remainder of his life in prison, even though his conviction would be unconstitutional today.

richardawebster.bsky.social @richardawebster.bsky.social · Aug 25

9–But Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law last year that guts the ability of prosecutors to broker such deals, cutting off the last remaining avenue of relief for those imprisoned by nonunanimous juries.