ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 18
BY REPRESENTATIVE THIERRY
A RESOLUTION
To commend Alton Broussard of Opelousas for his contributions to the community of
Opelousas as a civil and social rights advocate and business owner.
WHEREAS, for more than fifty years, Alton Broussard cut hair in his downtown
Opelousas barber shop while blazing a trail through the injustice of racism and segregation;
and,
WHEREAS, following a two-year tour of duty in the United States Navy, Mr.
Broussard enrolled in and graduated from LaBelle Barber College in New Orleans; his
barbering business provided the platform from which he would launch his efforts for social
justice; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Broussard joined the St. Landry Parish NAACP and encouraged
voter registration and organized nonviolent protests and sit-ins to end racial segregation; he
credits ownership of his own business with his ability to participate fully in the civil rights
movement without the fear of job loss; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Broussard played a key role in a successful sit-in demonstration in
Oberlin that involved the town's Catholic church, which at the time required blacks to sit at
the back of the church; he also marched in Selma, Alabama, following the infamous Bloody
Sunday of March 7, 1965; and
WHEREAS, in the mid 1960s, Mr. Broussard accepted an appointment from Mayor
Wilfred Cortez to serve on the Opelousas Housing Authority's board of commissioners, the
first black to receive such an appointment; and
WHEREAS, in the early 1970s, Mr. Broussard worked with others to fight unfair
voting practices and was among the first blacks elected to the parish police jury, a position
in which he served for twelve years; and
Page 1 of 2 HR NO. 18 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, Alton Broussard served on the Tri-Parish board of directors; the St.
Landry Community Action Council, which was the governing board of the Head Start
program; the state Board of Barber Examiners; the Krotz Springs Port Commission; and he
was a junior knight commander in the Knights of Peter Claver Council 8; and
WHEREAS, Alton Broussard retired from barbering in 2013 but he remains active
with his farm, rental properties, and retains his seat on the Opelousas General Health System
board of directors, where he continues to carry out his work of advocacy for the citizens of
his community.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Alton Broussard for a lifetime of
contributions to civil rights, social justice, and human compassion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Alton Broussard.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Page 2 of 2