New book delves into black caucus

Even though the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus was created in 1977 and the number of black lawmakers serving in the state Legislature has increased, there are socioeconomic indicators showing the living conditions of constituents in related districts have failed to improve. That’s just one of the conclusions offered up by two assistant political science professors in their upcoming book, The Legislative Black Caucus. The book comes out in December under the LSU Press label and is being marketed as a “comprehensive examination.” Its authors are Jas M. Sullivan of LSU, who is a professor of African and African-American studies, and Jonathan Winburn of the University of Mississippi. The writers ask why the caucus, composed entirely of Democrats, had the lowest bill-passage rate among all other groups during the time when the Democratic Party held a majority. Today, the House and Senate have Republican majorities. The inability of the LLBC to form coalitions across party lines, and even inside its own party, limits its effectiveness, the authors argue. Moreover, Sullivan and Winburn contend the issues faced by the caucus’s constituencies often fail to garner support from white Democrats, a group more closely aligned with their Republican counterparts. For more on the new book, click here. —Jeremy Alford