NEW ORLEANS– For today’s Black History Month tribute, our salute is to a respected civil rights leader who also served in the Louisiana legislature for more than 20 years.
Rev. Avery C. Alexander was also a community leader for many decades.
Alexander’s grand daughter Avis Brock explains, “My earliest remembrance of Avery Alexander the crusader was in 1963. At that time, I was 8 and I didn’t understand. What I did understand and remember was the Louisiana Weekly having that picture of him being drug up the steps out of city hall.”
Long-time activist Jerome Smith said, “He(Rev. Alexander) was constantly giving me encouragement because you know how we come. He was trying to make sure that when I was really young not to be discouraged because we were hitting it hard!”
To Brock, her grandfather was just ‘Papa’, “He protected us and kept us out of harm’s way. He taught me the value of serving the least of thee.”
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