ACLU of Louisiana Statement Regarding Fires at Historically Black Churches

NEW ORLEANS – ACLU of Louisiana executive director Alanah Odoms Hebert issued the following statement regarding a series of fires that destroyed three historically black churches in St. Landry Parish and damaged another black church in Caddo Parish.

“This string of suspicious church fires, including three in St. Landry Parish alone, is deeply disturbing and a reminder of the violence that people of color continue to face across the South. Black churches have long been targets of racial terrorism, and recent years have seen a steady rise in white supremacist violence. While the investigation into the cause of the fires continues, it’s on all of us to speak out against hate and intolerance and stand in solidarity with the communities affected by these tragedies.”