Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1987-11-15

Duration: 00:27:27

Subjects: Politics | Elections, 1987 | Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1987 | Louisiana. Legislature | African Americans | Holden, Melvin "Kip" | Fields, Cleo | Turnley, Richard, Jr. | NEWMAN, JEWEL J.

Contributors:

• Masingale, Sonya Host
• Newman, Jewel Interviewee
• Holden, Kip Interviewee
• Turnley, Richard Interviewee
• Fields, Cleo Interviewee
• Ransburg, Frank Interviewee
• Parent, Wayne Interviewee

This episode of the series “Folks” from November 15, 1987, focuses on the role of the black vote in Louisiana politics. Sonya Masingale first reports on the surprising defeat of two African American incumbents to two young African American candidates in the Louisiana Legislature elections for House District 63 and Senate District 14. She interviews the winners and losers in both races: State Representative Jewel Newman, the defeated incumbent; State Representative-Elect Kip Holden; State Senator Richard Turnley, the defeated incumbent; and State Senator-Elect Cleo Fields. Masingale then conducts an in-studio interview with Frank Ransburg, a political science professor at Southern University, and Dr. Wayne Parent, a political science professor at Louisiana State University (LSU). They discuss: whether the black electorate in Louisiana votes along party lines for the Democratic Party; the role of the black vote in the 1987 gubernatorial election; black voter participation in the statewide elections; the House District 63 and Senate District 14 election results; the possibility of an African American candidate winning an election for statewide office or Congress in Louisiana; and the concession of Governor Edwin Edwards.