A newly minted Louisiana non-profit, Liberty '64, headed by Dionne Butler, has created a series of event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the July 2, 1964 signing of the Civil Rights Act that will take place over a nine-day period. "As an African-American and native New Orleanian, my family lived the civil rights movement," Butler said.  "When you grow up in a segregated society and watch downtrodden people come together for the remarkable accomplishment of passing such an important piece of legislation, you always remember it and want to celebrate it for the next generation," Butler said. The Liberty '64 event series includes:

Why are families choosing to send their kids to school completely online?  Each year, leading virtual school provider Connections Academy conducts a third-party survey of parents with students enrolled in the virtual schools it supports.  More than 18,000 respondents took part in the survey. Among the findings, the survey reveals reasons for enrolling in online school.  Topping the list:  families want school options, flexibility, and safety.  Please consider a story on this topic at this time when parents are busy making plans for the 2014-15 school year.

What: 200 area youth depart on a Civil Rights tour sponsored by the National Basketball Retired Players Association, Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell, former Council President Arnie Fielkow, Stand for Children, NBC Bank, Jones Walker and Liberty 64

When: Wednesday, June 25, 6 a.m., City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street
Contact: Brittany Ray, 785-760-4708 | or Councilwoman Cantrell, 504 658-1020 

Why:  As part of the city's series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, local leaders will educate students on why this important legislation is still relevant today by visiting the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama

What:        
Announcement of New Orleans events celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act by President Lyndon Johnson

When:        
FRIDAY, June 20, 10 a.m.

Where:        
4318 Magazine Street, which still has a 1950s-era lunch counter/signage used when the store was a Woolworth’s and featured in the movie The Butler

Who:                 
Members of Liberty '64, a non-profit organization formed to create a series of events to celebrate the 50th Anniversary signing of the Civil Rights Act

We represent a large segment of the business, education and civic communities of Louisana and we are today calling on Governor Jindal to act in the best interests of the children of the state and move forward with implementation of all aspects of Common Core. We are parents, grandparents,  aunts and uncles; we are educators and employers and engaged citizens; and we are voters and taxpayers who represent broad citizen support for the Common Core standards and appropriate tests for the betterment of both our children and our state.

Collectively we were shocked by the governor’s recent statements that despite the very strong affirmation of Common Core by both the Legislature and The Board of Elementary & Secondary Education coupled with widespread citizen support, he is now singlehandedly “committed to getting us out of…Common Core.”  

We believe this action would constitute executive overreach that violates every aspect of the spirit of the democratic process. It would suggest that the state should be governed not by the bodies that constitutionally enact education laws and policies, but by the unilateral use of the executive pen.  

Certainly, every governor has been invested with some degree of executive authority, but it should only be used as state law clearly states, “to see that the laws are faithfully executed.” It was not created to make end runs to void the policies of established constitutional bodies. In the face of any executive overreach with a pen, we ask BESE to stay firm and continue to implement Common Core standards and related tests.