SLS 19RS-1925 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 151
BY SENATOR PETERSON
SENATE. Honors and commemorates the life of Kenneth Rene Michael Carter.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To celebrate the life memories of Kenneth Rene Michael Carter.
3 WHEREAS, the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana greatly honors and
4 commemorates the life of Kenneth Rene Michael Carter who, at the age of seventy-four,
5 passed away on August 3, 2018; and
6 WHEREAS, Kenneth Carter was born on July 22, 1944, in New Orleans, Louisiana,
7 to Richmond Sr. and Catherine "Kate" Carter; and
8 WHEREAS, he attended Saint Monica Elementary School and distinguished himself
9 early in life as a promising basketball player, thus earning basketball scholarships to Xavier
10 Preparatory High School and Loyola University where he was one of the first five African-
11 American students admitted to its undergraduate program in 1962; and
12 WHEREAS, Kenneth Carter ultimately graduated from the University of New
13 Orleans having earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 1976 and his Juris
14 Doctorate from Loyola University in 1978; and
15 WHEREAS, he began his legal career at Herman, Herman and Katz Law Firm, then
16 opened his own law firm, Carter and Cates, while becoming a renowned attorney; and
17 WHEREAS, Kenneth Carter, a trailblazer, was a man of many firsts; he was the first
18 African American elected assessor in the state of Louisiana, serving from 1985 until 1994,
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SLS 19RS-1925 ORIGINAL
1 and the first African-American president of the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association; he
2 founded the Black Organization of Leadership Development (BOLD), and served as a board
3 member and leader of the Dryades Street YMCA which served Central City youth and their
4 families; and
5 WHEREAS, he served as the first president of the Freret Street Development
6 Corporation and as chair of the New Orleans Alcoholic Beverage Control Board; and
7 WHEREAS, Kenneth Carter was a leader in the historic National Tobacco Litigation
8 Settlement, which successfully reformed the tobacco industry and redefined multi-district
9 litigation; and
10 WHEREAS, he was a member of the first and oldest African-American greek-letter
11 fraternal organization known as Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, the "Boule"; and
12 WHEREAS, Kenneth and his beloved wife of fifty-three years, Gwendolyn "Gigi"
13 Carter, have three daughters: Tara Hernandez, Karen Carter-Peterson, and Eileen Carter; and
14 WHEREAS, in May 2015, his daughter, Senator Peterson, along with other state
15 senators, presented the couple with a resolution honoring their golden anniversary as they
16 celebrated fifty years of marriage; and
17 WHEREAS, he leaves behind his wife, three daughters, three grandchildren, two
18 brothers, and one sister; and
19 WHEREAS, Kenneth Carter was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, trailblazer
20 and exceptional statesman who leaves behind many wonderful memories that will be
21 treasured and celebrated forever by his family and countless friends.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
23 does hereby honor and commemorate the life of Kenneth Rene Michael Carter.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to his
25 daughter, Senator Karen Carter-Peterson.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ann S. Brown.
DIGEST
SR 151 Original 2019 Regular Session Peterson
Honors and commemorates the life of Kenneth Rene Michael Carter.
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