Reflecting on History in the Wake of George Floyd’s Killing

At LEH, we believe the role of the public humanities is to both inform and promote critical analysis and conversations.

The current protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police officers fit into a history of oppression—and challenges to oppression—that predate the founding of this country.

We’ve searched our archives, compiling a roundup of articles from 64 Parishes that shed light on Louisiana’s and America’s long struggles with racial injustice, criminalization and marginalization of blackness, and the fight for civil rights.

Our hope is to spark interest and empathy among readers hoping to better understand how we came to be here and reflect upon how we might chart a new path forward.