Delphine Roberts' Very Special 4th of July
Author: jpshinley
Email: jpshinley@my-dejanews.com
Date: 1998/07/02
To celebrate the Fourth of July, 1961, Delphine Roberts organized an event at the New Orleans Civic Center to honor Leander Perez, the political boss of nearby Plaquemines Parish and a nationally known leader of the segregation movement, with the presentation of a patriotism award. City Councilman, and future mayor, Victor Schiro was listed as a speaker in the original announcement, but he evidently had better sense than to actually show up. One speaker, who requires no introduction, was Guy Banister. There is a picture of Banister and Perez, with others, standing beneath a large statue of George Washington. Other participants included Emile A. Wager, the most vocal and uncompromising segregationist on the New Orleans school board, and Festus Brown, long associated with the Americanism committee of the American Legion, and a crony of Jamess Pfister, then chairman of the Louisiana Joint Legislative Committee on Un-American Activities.
Citations from the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
July 2, 1961 S1-P14 July 4 Program to Honor Perez
[mentions Victor Schiro]
July 5, 1061 S1-P1
Patriotic Events, Outings Mark Fourth Observance
Red Sunburns, Blue Skies, White Lights Motif
[coverage and picture on S1-P3]
July 20, 1961 S1-P12
Views of Readers
Timely Aid by Delphine Roberts
[a letter to the editor thanking the T-P for their coverage]
Feb 23, 1962 S1-P7
Citizens Group Honors Patriot
Washington Monument Decorated
[another patriotic holiday with Delphine, Festus Brown and James Pfister]
Jerry Shinley