SLS 162ES-50 ORIGINAL
2016 Second Extraordinary Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 2
BY SENATOR BROWN AND REPRESENTATIVE JORDAN
COMMENDATIONS. Commends the West Baton Rouge Museum, its director and exhibit
team for the exhibit, "Cohn High School: How We Love Thee".
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend and congratulate the West Baton Rouge Parish Museum, its director and
3 exhibit team for the exhibit, "Cohn High School: How We Love Thee".
4 WHEREAS, the West Baton Rouge Museum, accredited by the American Alliance
5 of Museums, organized the exhibit "Cohn High School: How We Love Thee" in honor of
6 the now demolished Cohn High School (1949-1969) established to educate students of color
7 in the parish of West Baton Rouge; and
8 WHEREAS, this project was under the supervision of museum director Dr. Julie
9 Rose, who organized the exhibit team lead by curator Angelique Bergeron; and
10 WHEREAS, the team included LSU intern Jenna Stewart, guest co-curator Kathe
11 Hambrick-Jackson, registrar Lauren Hawthorn, members of the Cohn High School Alumni
12 Association, and historian, Dr. Paul Paskoff; and
13 WHEREAS, invaluable contributions were made to this project by the West Baton
14 Rouge Parish School Board, the city of Port Allen, the private, nonprofit organization DOC
15 DHL, and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge; and
16 WHEREAS, the museum is on the Louisiana African American Trail and the
17 collections and historic buildings interpret "From Slavery to Civil Rights: in the sugarcane
18 growing region of the state"; and
Page 1 of 2 SCR NO. 2
SLS 162ES-50 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, Cohn High School's history carries the interpretation further into the
2 twentieth century showing the relevance of African-American history in today's society; and
3 WHEREAS, the landmark exhibition "Cohn High School: How We Love Thee",
4 February 2 through March 2, 2016, grew from the initial collection of saved materials and
5 stories to the first comprehensive history of the only West Baton Rouge Parish high school
6 for African Americans; and
7 WHEREAS, on May 23, 2016, the American Association for State and Local History
8 selected this exhibit as a 2016 Award of Merit winner by the Leadership in History awards
9 committee; and
10 WHEREAS, the American Association for State and Local History Leadership in
11 History Award is the nation's most prestigious competition for recognition of achievement
12 in state and local history.
13 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
14 commend and congratulate the West Baton Rouge Museum and its director and exhibit team
15 for the success of the recognition of their diligent work and effort with the exhibit, "Cohn
16 High School: How We Love Thee".
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
18 West Baton Rouge Parish Museum and the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SCR 2 Original 2016 Second Extraordinary Session Brown
Commends the West Baton Rouge Parish Museum, its director and exhibit team for the
exhibit, "Cohn High School: How We Love Thee".
Page 2 of 2