Equal Justice USA hosts Bogalusa Day of Action at Coke Plant

On Saturday, August 24, Equal Justice USA hosted a Bogalusa Day of Action at the Coke plant. About 50 guests attended the event which featured panel discussions with local leaders, the presentation of a report generated through collaboration between the Bogalusa community and EJUSA, and awards and recognitions. The report, called A Roadmap For Change , stated that its goal is to “Illuminate the challenges, aspirations, and collective wisdom of the residents of Bogalusa fostering dialogue and action towards a more just and equitable public safety ecosystem.”

During her opening remarks, EJUSA CEO Jamila Hodge said, “This is just a reminder that everything we are doing is standing on broad shoulders of those who came before us.”

Speaker Dr. Loy Azaria said, “We have to go where is most impacted. We looked at five cities, and we saw Bogalusa. The crime rate was higher than some major cities in Louisiana, and a lot of the crime was from young people.”

EJUSA began its data collection in 2023 by questioning Bogalusa leaders and residents and gathering statistics about crime and poverty. “Data and research are how we view the world, we rely on data,” Hodge said. EJUSA included the participant profile for their surveys in the report’s appendix, stating that of those who answered, 84% were black or African American and 65% were female.

The group posed questions to the community about their experiences, safety, and pathways to healing. They used their answers to formulate a set of actions that can be taken by the local government and residents to reduce crime, improve equity, and build a safer community. “In the context of community safety, equity refers to the fair distribution of resources, opportunities, and benefits to all community members, especially those who have been historically marginalized,” the report said.

The report includes a series of recommendations for the Mayor, City Council, and community members and organizations. These recommendations were broken down into actions that can be taken in 1-3 years, 3-5 years, and 5-8 years.

During a panel discussion titled Conversations with Leaders , Truong and Hodge fielded questions from a moderator about the future of Bogalusa. In response to a question about rooting public safety in the community, Hodge said, “We have to recognize that the system was set up for a reason, and the racial disparities were set up on purpose. Safety lies in the community, and community-based solutions are pre-emptive.”

When asked what he liked most about Bogalusa, Truong said, “The resiliency of our people. Even in a declining population, I still see joy and people helping each other, especially in this economy and times.”

Hodge said during the panel, “It’s always hard to change the status quo. We have to shift from punishment because it is fundamentally racist, black people are the ones being punished. We will never incarcerate ourselves into safety. Research shows that when you fix stuff in the community, crime goes down.”

Truong said, “Crime is the crux of every other issue in the city. What values are we instilling? It all works together,” when asked about challenges to safety that he has faced as mayor.

Truong recounted his first days in office when he sent a message to the Governor requesting the National Guard be sent to Bogalusa, and how it got the attention of political leaders and resulted in $160k worth of security cameras being given to the city. “We’ve reduced the murder rate by 40% since I took office, and are solving murders at the fastest rate in the city’s history.”

Guests were given a copy of the EJUSA report, along with a Grassroots Organizing PlayBook and a copy of the day’s itinerary.  The PlayBook included organizing models from Jack Rothman, Saul Alinksy, and the Neighborhood Anarchist Collective.

Rothman’s model was formulated through his background in social work and community organizing. Alinsky’s model comes from his final book, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals , and the Neighborhood Anarchist Collective is an Oregon-based group that promotes anarchism and community change.

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