1940-1970

Immigration 1940

In New Orleans Louisiana in the 1940s, there were more immigrants in New Orleans than ever before, even if the second wave had dwindled little by little. In the 1800 many people who immigrated to Louisiana settled in areas that would have very undesirable features to them, they were bribed by the fact that the areas they settled in had low effort jobs and decent housing that outweighed the horrible areas they were living in. The locations where the 2nd wave of immigrants chose to settle were determined by evolving physical and social geographies, historical circumstances, and New Orleans' particular characteristics. The dispersal of settlers also reflected earlier patterns of settlement and changes the city endured as a result of its expansion.

Protests 1953

Louisiana wasn't in the vanguard of the Modern Civil Rights Movement until Baton Rouge's first bus boycott, New Orleans' Canal Street sit-ins, and a 105-mile march from Bogalusa to the State Capitol. During the Civil Rights Era, brave Louisianans from many walks of life such as students, lawyers, merchants, housekeepers, and more. used their right to peacefully protest for desegregation, fair hiring and housing standards, and voting rights.

The week before the march on Washington, James Farmer arrived in Plaquemine. In an effort to increase voter registration, he led protestors in marches and rallies. James Farmer ended up being one of the many people who were imprisoned for the rallies. Following the activists' release from custody, many young people and black folks who attend church in the area protested segregation in public spaces. The Plymouth Rock Baptist Church, often known as "Freedom Rock," was encircled as the demonstrators withdrew there once more. Farmer understood then that his capture was the main objective. The hunt for James Farmer started at that point.

Civil rights 1953-1963

Louisiana is famous for being one of the first states to start allowing African Americans to participate in an all white school. In order to demand equality, civil rights activists in New Orleans during the 1950s and 1960s employed peaceful methods like sit-ins at lunch counters, boycotts of stores, marches, and other types of protests. Four young girls who had previously attended only white elementary schools were integrated on November 14, 1960: Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, Gail Etienne, and Ruby Bridges started attending William Frantz and McDonogh 19 in the Ninth Ward.

At the New Zion Baptist Church in New Orleans, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, one of the most significant institutions in the developing Civil Rights Movement, was formally established. Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen as the new organization's leader, and many of its officers were from Louisiana. Rev. T.J. Jemison of Baton Rouge was elected secretary, A.L. Davis of New Orleans was elected second vice president, Louis Berry of New Orleans was appointed parliamentarian, and attorney Israel Augustine Jr. of New Orleans was elected to the executive committee. In the Crescent City, Canal Street, a main route for commerce, turned into a site of civil rights conflict. Here, at McCrory's Five and Dime and Woolworth's, were the city's first lunch counter demonstrations. Due to their affiliation with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the McCrory group—known as the CORE Four—attracted widespread notice after being found guilty of "criminal anarchy" in a case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Space travel (1961-1969)

The lunar landing of Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin on Apollo 11 marked the culmination of a ten-year space exploration program that started with Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard's 20-minute space journey in 1961. The NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East produced the booster rockets for Apollo 11 and numerous subsequent flights, and the John C. Stennis Space Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast served as the location for test launches.

Hurricane Betsy 1965

On September 9th 1965 A massive Hurricane known as Hurricane Betsy hit New Orleans Louisiana. The damages the Hurricane caused were incredibly severe, Major floods were filling the streets of New Orleans, it destroyed almost every building in its path and roughly 70 to 80 deaths were caused by the Hurricane. The damages of the Hurricane were so major that this was the first ever Billion dollar Hurricane in US history, the damages caused by Hurricane Betsy cost the US $1.2 billion. To counter any coming Hurricanes Congress Hired the Army corpse of Engineers to build flood protection countermeasures in New Orleans. Unfortunately the countermeasures fell apart 40 years later with Hurricane Katrina.

References

(“Blakeview: How New Orleans Helped Armstrong and Aldrin Launch into Space for Apollo 11 Mission,” 2019)

(“New Orleans – US Civil Rights Trail,” 2017)

(“Not Even Past: Social Vulnerability and the Legacy of Redlining,” 2022)

(“Civil Rights Era (1950–1963) - the Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom | Exhibitions - Library of Congress,” 2013)

(“Hurricane Betsy | Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority,” 2013)

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