Data News Weekly

Lighting The Road To The Future
“The People’s Paper”
Brian
Bagneris’
Debut Memoir
‘Hustle Till
I Die’
Data Zone
Page 4
June 8 - June 14, 2024 59th Year Volume 7 www.ladatanews.com
A Data News Weekly Exclusive
Louisiana Freedmen Missionary
Baptist General Association
Celebrating 156 Years of Service
Newsmaker
Ochsner Health Hosts
Third Annual Black
Men’s Health Event
Page 2
National News
Guilty! Guilty!
Guilty!
Page 6 Page 7

Page 2
June 8 - June 14, 2024
Cover Story
www.ladatanews.com
Louisiana Freedmen Missionary
Baptist General Association
Celebrating 156 Years of Service
President Dr. Mitchell J. Stevens and Pastors of the Louisiana Freedmen Missionary Baptist General Association at the closing night of the 155th Annual
Session held at Greater Solomon Baptist Church.
Edwin Buggage
Editor-in-Chief Data News Weekly
Faith and the Fight for Freedom
As we approach Juneteenth, the historical legacy
of the fight for freedom, justice, and equality is of
the utmost importance. Within the African American
community faith has always been important. For
it is the beacon light that’s led that’s continued to
sustain a community that to this day continues to
strive to be empowered in a nation where Lady Liberty’s
light is sometimes dimmed for as the iconic
poet Langston Hughes stated, “I am the Darker
Brother” in his epic poem “I Too Sing America.”
An organization that’s been seminal in this fight is
the Louisiana Freedmen Missionary Baptist General
Association, established in 1868 by an ardent group of
Christian men who assembled themselves to chart the
way wherein they would maintain their enjoyment of
freedom after the war between the states.
Cover Story, Continued on page 3.
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Cover Story
www.ladatanews.com June 8 - June 14, 2024
Page 3
Cover Story, Continued from page 2.
“We just held the 155th Annual
Session of the Freedmen Association
in its 156 years of existence.
The purpose of the organization
is to “serve congregations.” The
association is made up of pastors
and congregants of local Baptist
Churches. While each church is
autonomous, Freedmen serves
as an arm to facilitate conflicts
with the church, Christian education
opportunities, peer support
groups, and knowledge-based
learning such as financial literacy,”
says President and Moderator
Dr. Mitchell Stevens.
A Profile in Courage
They have a long and storied history
of courage and resilience. In
their literature, it is described as:
The long night of national perplexity
was ending. Nearly six or
seven years had passed from the
War Between the States (Civil
War). The awful noise from cannons
and guns had been silenced,
but the miserable scars made
upon the backs, wrists, and ankles
of the slaves had not completely
healed, and the innocent blood
on the battlefields had not been
dried. The founding fathers of
Rev. Dr. Robert Meyers, Vice President of the National Missionary Baptist Convention, and Rev. Dr. Mitchell
J. Stevens, President/Moderator of the LFMBGA during the opening processional of President’s Night at the
155th Annual Session.
this organization were homeless,
yet in their hearts, they had a
burning desire and an undying
hope for freedom for themselves
and their children. So this ardent
group of men assembled themselves
to chart the way wherein
they would maintain the enjoyment
of “freedom.” They selected
God’s word for their doctrine and
Christ’s teaching for their way of
life. They chose the name Louisiana
Freedmen Missionary Baptist
Association with delicate tact
which they knew would reflect
their aspirations.
“Our mission is to empower
congregations to serve their
communities through community
service, such as feeding the
homeless and elderly, evangelism
through teaching and preaching
the Word of God to help individuals
establish a relationship with
God, and home and foreign missions
to help the less fortunate,”
remarks Stevens.
The Power of the Collective
The Louisiana Freedmen Missionary
Baptist General Association
is a strong institution that stands
with a purpose of faith and fellowship.
For the past 156 years displaying
the love and hope of Christ,
equipping Pastors and Churches
where they can effectively bring
positive change and necessities to
their local communities.
Freedmen are comprised of
49 churches that encompass the
Greater New Orleans area and as
far as Napoleonville, Donaldsonville,
and Gonzales. During their
recent Annual Session, they gathered
at the Greater King Solomon
Missionary Baptist Church, where
Reverend John T. White serves as
Pastor, to exhibit faith and enjoy the
fellowship of our fellow members.
The week was filled with challenging
and informative preaching and
teaching, and information concerning
our local and statewide governments.
Each one of our Presidents
gave inspiring messages on why we
should conduct ourselves with the
attitude of love.
Cover Story, Continued
on page 6.

Page 4
June 8 - June 14, 2024
Data Zone
www.ladatanews.com
New Orleans Author Brian Bagneris’
Debut Memoir Hustle Till I Die
Fleur De Lis
Data News Weekly Contributor
Brian Bagneris’ Debut Memoir
Hustle Till I Die is a must-read. It
chronicles the life of a young man’s
coming-of-age in 1990s New Orleans.
As a teenager, Bagneris witnessed
the shooting death of his childhood
friend Kenneth Breaux. This pivotal
moment became “the day that he had
to choose between 2 existing worlds:
the normal life of a 16-year-old Black
teenager growing up in Hollygrove, a
working-class neighborhood of New
Orleans or “getting it how he lives”
the life as an angry hurt man-child on
the cruel and dirty streets of the city.”
The book follows Bagneris
through a period of grief and desire
for revenge that leads him to juvenile
detention and life as a notorious Hollygrove
drug dealer. At the same time,
we see Bagneris discover his creative
voice as the prolific rapper 2twenty3
and develop a vibrant and tight-knit
family. Years later, Kenneth’s killer
is released from prison and reenters
Bagneris’ life in unexpected ways.
Just after Bagneris and his family purchase
and settle into their first home,
a harrowing evacuation from Hurricane
Katrina confirms his dedication
to the city that raised him. Hustle Till
I Die is a compulsively readable portrait
of a New Orleans native, told in a
charismatic, insightful new voice.
Hustle Till I Die can be purchased
at Amazon.com, Melba’s on Elysian
Fields, Beckham Book Sore on Decatur
Street, Community Book Store,
and other locations in the City of New
Orleans.
Author Brian Bagneris with Hip Hop legend Mia X.
Hustle Till I Die is garnering attention inside and outside of the
city. Charlemagne Da God and Bagneris daughter Dr. Brianyell
Mims, who is an immunologist at a recent book event.
Brian Bagneris story that exemplifies triumph over tragedy
is one that is inspirational, and is a must read for those who
want to understand Black males not just in New Orleans,
but America.
Bagneris is receiving props from many influential people
including national radio personality Sway.
Visit www.ladatanews.com for more photos from these events.

www.ladatanews.com June 8 - June 14, 2024
Data Zone
Page 5
Bagneris with best-selling author, professor and journalist Walter Isaacson.
Stronger Immunities
Build Stronger
Communities.
Vaccines are a major reason we can lead healthy lives
today. They reduce many preventable infectious diseases
that cause serious illness in infants, children and adults.
Protecting more than just our own bodies, vaccines also
keep us healthier as a family, community and state by
allowing us to build stronger immunities that lead to
stronger communities.
To learn more about vaccines, visit
immunizations.la.gov
or speak with a healthcare provider.

Page 6
June 8 - June 14, 2024
Newsmaker
www.ladatanews.com
Ochsner Health Hosts Third Annual Black Men’s Health
Event at Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club
Data News Staff Edited
Report
Ochsner Health hosted “The
Black Men’s Health Event” from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May
25th at Zulu Headquarters on 732
N. Broad St. This marks the third
consecutive year for this free event,
which emphasizes community
health and wellness.
Presented by the Janssen Pharmaceutical
Companies of Johnson
and Johnson, along with community
partner The Zulu Social Aid and
Pleasure Club, The Black Men’s
Health Event advances a core mission
to improve healthcare access,
health equity and health outcomes.
Attendees took advantage of
several free medical screenings:
(BOLD)
• Blood Pressure
• Glucose
• Cholesterol
• Lung Capacity
• HIV/STI
Ochsner physicians and community
partners also hosted
panel discussions focusing on
Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. with Ochsner Health Director & Public Affairs, Tonia Moore.
Zulu member, David Green, signs in at the
Black Men’s Health Event.
From Left to Right, Dr. Omotola Ashorobi, Urology
Physician, Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, Women’s Services,
Dr. Yvens Laborde, Chief Community Medical Officer and
Dr. Brian Pettiford. Thoracic Surgeon all of Oschner Health
served on a Health Education panel -Real Talk: Male
Sexual Health and Well-Being.
sexual health and well-being.
“Zulu is pleased to again be a
partner with Ochsner Health to
benefit Black men from all walks
of life. Access to healthcare for
families and especially the men of
the family is a priority of our organization,”
said Elroy A. James,
President of Zulu Social Aid and
Pleasure Club. “The hope is that
our community will take advantage
of this important and comprehensive
health opportunity.”
“The Black Men’s Health Event
and all of Ochsner’s community outreach
strategies are intentional and
driven by community health needs
assessments,” said Yvens Laborde,
MD, Chief Community Medical Officer
for Ochsner Health. “Our partner,
the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure
Club, has a significant impact
on its community. We are so thankful
to Zulu for supporting Ochsner’s
commitment to identifying health
needs and engaging the community
to promote better health. Working
together, we will help build a healthier
region and a better Louisiana.”
Data News Staff Edited
Report
The City of New Orleans has announced
that the Department of
Sanitation will host a paper shredding
event on Saturday, June 8th
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the City’s
Recycling Drop-Off Center, located
at 2829 Elysian Fields Ave. Given
the high demand for Shred Day
events, it is recommended that residents
arrive early to take advantage
of shredding services before capacity
has been exhausted.
Shred Day
Orleans Parish residents can
bring up to 50 pounds of personal
or sensitive documents to be shredded
safely and securely on-site.
City accepts mixed office paper,
light cardboard and similar materials
City does not accept plastic, compact
discs, DVDs or other metal
(excluding paper clips and staples)
Recycling Drop-Off
State & Local News
City of New Orleans to Host Free Paper Shredding During
Recycling Drop-Off Event on Saturday, June 8th.
Every Saturday, Orleans Parish
residents can drop off the following
recyclables at the City’s Recycling
Drop-Off Center:
Paper: newspapers, junk mail,
phone books, catalogs, office paper
Corrugated Cardboard
Boxboard: cereal boxes and soft
drink boxes
Plastics #1 (soda/water bottles)
and #2 (milk/juice/shampoo/detergent
containers)
Small Metals: aluminum and
steel
Mardi Gras beads
Batteries: AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D,
6-volt, 9-volt, Lithium
Light Bulbs: incandescent and
fluorescent
Electronics: iPads, tablets, computers,
laptops, phones, keyboards,
speakers, cables, x-boxes, PlayStations,
Wii, MP3/DVD/CD Players,
UPS, Circuit boards, portable navigation/GPS
devices, inkjet/toner
cartridges, digital cameras/video
recorders (DVRs), fax machines,
small printers, monitors, processors,
networking equipment, stereos,
security systems
Televisions: limit 4
Tires: limit 5
Glass: limit 50 lbs. (please remove
corks and caps)
Note: Businesses and organizations
are not eligible for Recycling
Drop-Off services.
For more information, please
call 3-1-1 or visit https://nola.gov/
recycling-drop-off/.
Cover Story/ Continued from page 3.
“The major theme of the organization is
The Message of the Master, Matthew 28:19-
20. Each year of my presidency I have led the
organization with sub themes based of “Continuing
the Legacy.” This year’s Annual Session
theme was “Continuing the Legacy with
the Attitude of Love”. Each president of the different
Ministries and Auxiliaries expounded of
the theme during the annual address including
myself as President/ Moderator.”
The Black Church: A Beacon of Light
and the Road to Freedom
As we are witnessing threats to Democracy, these are serious and critical
times for the nation. Churches and denominational groups are as relevant
as ever in leading the struggle. For it has historically been through
this lens, that’s been the moral compass that’s guided a nation towards the
aspirations of its founding.
In these perilous times, it is imperative to promote the integrity of these
institutions. When Freedmen was first organized it was established by
these Free Blacks of Color in the late 1800s. They provided a foundation
for the aspirations of a community in the pursuit of dignity, morality, and
justice in the face of inequality. As was the case then and today, Freedmen
and other groups are essential in this effort.
“We are in an age where the Black Church is still relevant, and it is
important that we still “serve this present age with a calling to fulfill. The
Black church, including denominational groups such as the Louisiana
Freedmen Missionary Baptist General Association.”
This group continues its historical mission as beacons of light, guiding
our community, and being an example of what we can do when we work
together and aspire to reach higher. To be the conscience of not only New
Orleans and the surrounding parishes, but of a nation.

www.ladatanews.com June 8 - June 14, 2024
Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Former President Trump
Convicted on All 34 Felony Counts
Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior
National Correspondent
In a historic and dramatic moment,
the jury in New York delivered
a resounding verdict on
Wednesday, finding former President
Donald Trump guilty on all 34
felony counts of falsifying business
records. This unprecedented decision
marks the first time in American
History that a former president
has been convicted of criminal
charges.
A hush fell over the courtroom
late in the afternoon as the jury
handed Judge Juan M. Merchan a
note. “We the jury have a verdict.
We would like an extra 30 minutes
to fill out the forms if that’d be possible,”
the note read. The jury had
deliberated for 9.5 hours over two
days after a three-week trial.
The twice-impeached, fourtimes
indicted, and now convicted
Trump faced charges connected
to a $130,000 hush-money payment
made to porn star Stormy Daniels
in the days leading up to the 2016
election. The trial featured weeks
of tawdry testimony about tabloid
deal-making and the alleged sexual
encounter between Trump and
Daniels. Prosecutors argued that
Trump engaged in a fraud against
the American people by falsifying
records related to the reimbursement
of his former lawyer, Michael
D. Cohen, who paid Daniels out of
his own pocket.
The courtroom was silent as
the jury’s verdict was read aloud:
“Guilty, guilty, guilty…” repeated 34
times, solidifying the former president’s
fate. Trump, who is the presumptive
Republican presidential
nominee for 2024, now faces a potential
sentence ranging from probation
to four years in prison. His
legal team has already indicated
plans to appeal, a process that could
extend over several years.
The conviction has drawn sharp
reactions from political figures.
Shasti Conrad, Chair of the Washington
State Democratic Party,
declared, “Today’s verdict out of
New York affirms what the Washington
State Democratic Party has
been saying for more than eight
years – Convicted Felon Donald
Trump is wholly unfit to lead our
nation,” Conrad stated. “His conviction
today by a jury of his peers
demonstrates the lengths Convicted
Felon Trump will go to and the
laws he will break to get what he
wants – another four years of power
at the expense of hard-working
Americans. The Washington State
Democratic Party will never
stop fighting for a more perfect
National News
union, which is why we will continue
to resist Donald Trump’s
campaign of lies, grift, and autocratic
desires with every fiber of
our being every minute of every
day until the election is over and
we have prevented the end of democracy…again.”
This criminal case is one of four
Trump is currently facing, but it is
likely the only one that will go to trial
before Election Day. Trump faces
as much as four years in prison, but
because he’s viewed as a first-time
offender and the convictions are
on low-level felonies, he’ll likely receive
probation.
“Today, the Criminal Justice
System worked,” National Newspaper
Publishers Association
(NNPA) Chair Bobby Henry stated.
“As Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. alluded to, the arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends toward
justice,” Henry said.
The NNPA is the Trade Association
of the 250 African American-owned
newspapers and media
companies that comprise the Black
Press of America.
“The NNPA congratulates the
Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin
Bragg, who stood up triumphantly
against the criminal acts
of former President Trump,”
NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F.
Chavis Jr., stated. “In America,
no one should be above the equitable
rule of law. In particular,
Black America knows too well
the horrors of inequity and injustice.
In the historic case of New
York v. Trump, it now appears
that in New York City, finally
after centuries of racial oppression,
the gavel of justice has now
come down on one of the nation’s
most zealous criminals who unrepentantly
desires to return to
the White House in 2024.”
Page 7
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June 8 - June 14, 2024
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