Mayor's Youth Council Photo by the City of West Monroe

Saturday, October 30, 2021 - State Representative Pat Moore gathered area leaders to discuss violence in the black community.. The leaders in attendance were Senator Katrina Jackson, Mayor Friday Ellis, Mayor Gerald Brown, Councilman Carday Marshall Sr, Concerned Clergy, Betty-Ward Cooper, Monroe City School Board; Harold McCoy, Ouachita Parish School Board; law enforcement, social workers and business representatives. The group was charged with developing ideas for an action plan. Participants divided into groups and provided a readout of their suggestions. The meeting was a complete success.

Business Plan Development RECAP - The proposed strategy calls for simultaneous engagement of the three tenets - 1) youth; 2) bad influence and 3) the family. Action plans will be developed for each tenet with oversight by a vice president that reports back to the CEO and stakeholders. A team made-up of appropriate disciplines will support the corporation with analysis and performance measurements.

LATEST

Sunday, January 31, 2022 - At the initial October 30th planning meeting, Mayor Ellis spoke about the importance of our environment, cleanliness and economics. A year earlier in 2020, he tasked the City of Monroe’s Sanitation Department with litter abatement. Since then, crew members have picked up 20,261 bags of litter; that equates to 333 tons of litter and debris! See attached

Tuesday, February 1, 2022 - On February 1st, Mayor Staci Mitchell and Main Street Director Adrienne LaFrance-Wells were honored to attend a program at the Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum that celebrated the start of Black History Month and the opening of a Quilt Exhibit that will be on display until March 1. The museum is located at 1501 Chennault Park Drive in Monroe.

The City of West Monroe presented a proclamation that proclaimed February as Black History Month and encouraged all citizens to celebrate our diverse heritage and culture.

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - I (Tom) have been briefing Representative Pat Moore, Betty Cooper, Monroe City School Board and their team on the equity discussion with FEMA. FEMA is developing national policy on how equity is applied during the disaster recovery process. I held a call with Betty today.

Northeast Louisiana Black History Celebration - Every day the Arts Council celebrates the artists who help make Region 8 a culturally vibrant place to call home. Everyday this month via our social media platforms, we will be intentionally amplifying the voices and messages of Black Artists who enrich our arts community... not just regionally, but globally. You can find us on social media by clicking the buttons below.