Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 7.
The National Science Foundation has awarded Dr. Don Zhang, LSU Department of Psychology Assistant Professor, its Career Award, reported Sarah Keller from LSU News, for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The career award is Foundation's most prestigious grant for early-career faculty, reported Keller. The award is given to those who exhibit potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. Zhang's research is in the field of industrial and organizational psychology. "This highly competitive grant supports an individual’s research helping build a firm foundation for a lifetime of research and academic leadership," explained Keller. “We congratulate Dr. Zhang on this exceptional honor and his tremendous accomplishment,” said LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences Dean Troy Blanchard. “This is a testament to Dr. Zhang’s cutting-edge research and the impact he has already made in the field of industrial and organizational psychology.” According to the report, Zhang’s NSF Award will further his research on how risk-takers at work impact organizations. "In the workplace, risk takers are typically thought of as reckless and irresponsible. Multiple corporate catastrophes, such as the financial crisis of 2008 and Enron scandal, can be attributed – in part – to employees and leaders who took excessive risks. However, risk taking is also essential for innovation, courage and the fight against social injustice." Dr. Zhang said, “For these reasons, risk takers at work can be a liability and asset and it’s critical that we understand how to leverage employees’ appetite for risks toward virtue rather than malice,” According to the report, Dr. Zhang’s goal is to provide organizations with a valid measure of workplace risk taking to help their assessment and selection efforts. He hopes to help organizations with high-risk occupations, such as the chemical and manufacturing industries, to understand how to prevent safety problems and accidents caused by recklessness and risk taking. "With the support of this five-year $430,000 grant, Zhang will develop a workplace situational judgment test to assess risk propensity relative to the population as well as vocational guidance based on their level of risk tolerance. The instrument he will develop will be available to researchers, industry professionals and the general public," Keller wrote. "Zhang is currently a co-principal investigator on the NSF-funded Louis Stokes Center for Promotion of Academic Careers, or LS- PAC MODELS, at LSU. LS-PAC MODELS is a data-driven center of excellence dedicated to broadening participation in the STEM professoriate through mentoring, networking and professional development." For information Contact Sarah Keller, LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 12.
Private practitioners are needed to fill a crucial role that too few social service agencies offer. Supervised visitation and exchange services are niche services in the Family Court arena. If you’ve ever thought about the harm done by exchanging children at the police station, please consider the benefits of these roles. When there has been a rupture between the parents, a hostile game of “keep away” may arise. Every exchange may be an opportunity for drama. Once allegations are made—valid or otherwise, the Court is compelled to act in “an abundance of caution,” which often leads to curtailed parenting time. The 2014 Louisiana Law Revised Statutes Title 9, RS 9:364 states that if the Court finds a parent has a history of perpetrating family violence, that parent must complete a court- monitored domestic abuse intervention program and then may have supervised visitation. However, not all supervised visitation cases are about domestic violence: many are for returning military parents or others whose relationships have been disrupted by baseless or overblown allegations by the other parent. The custodial parent may have malevolent intent, or just be over-anxious, needing to see objective proof that the child is safe in the presence and care of the feared parent. The child may have fear of the supervised parent independent from the custodial parent’s feelings. All parties are protected by a good Supervised Visitation plan: the child is protected from possible physical or emotional harm; the supervised parent has a witness who can document the quality of their parenting engagement during the visit; and the at-home parent does not have to interact with the other parent and can be assured that the child is safe. Continued contact serves the purpose of reducing a phobic response from the anxious child (or domiciliary parent). Unfortunately, the Court is often satisfied with a family member being the supervisor, as a cost-saving measure. This is a bad idea. Allowing the fearful parent’s family to be supervisors is disaster out; allowing the feared parent’s relatives to be supervisors is foolish and possibly dangerous. A trained and neutral third-party who answers to the Court will cut out both positive and negative bias and allow the visiting dyad to relax and show “true colors.” In less inflamed cases, it may just be that exchanges need to take place in a safe, neutral environment. Commercial parking lots and police stations are hardly conducive to a civilized exchange—especially when one or both parents are trying to record it to bolster their case. Training and support is offered by the Supervised Visitation Network (www.svnworldwide.org), which also hosts an annual conference. There are minimum practice standards that address safety, critical incidents, and various types of supervision. There are various types of SV, including “supportive” and “therapeutic” supervision, which can enhance the parenting skills of the supervised parent. It’s a great service to offer, and since it’s private pay, it’s a great option for clinicians who are trying to establish themselves. Therapeutic supervised visitation is an excellent role for clinicians dedicated to helping a less-skilled parent learn better attachment and parenting behaviors in a safe and supportive setting. Since these parents are often demonized in other settings, this type of supervision allow for positive experiences and coaching. Think of a parent on the autistic spectrum, or one with a history of substance abuse who missed out on the child’s younger years. Parents with anger management problems can be taught that they have unrealistic expectations for children’s behavior. A good professional supervisor can do this in a relaxed and supportive manner that will help the adult be less defensive. These session also allow the child to experience the parent in more positive interactions.
The visitation supervisor provides reports to the Court regarding the client’s progress or lack thereof. The length of supervision of course differs with every case, but six months is probably the average. The Court can terminate or extend the supervision at any time. Safety concerns for the setting should be considered. Your office should have these in place in any case. If the visitation is to take place in another setting, safety protocols should be set up in advance. Since many of these sessions will be requested for weekends, you can charge a premium rate for this service.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 13.
This companion volume to Dr. Beverly Stubblefield‘s Bedtime Stories from the Barn and More Bedtime Stories from the Barn, lays out basic psychological principles embedded in her delightful stories. She guides parents and caregivers in how to help youngsters through psychological experiences of distress. The Parental Guide explains the metaphor of the horses’ conversations in her two storybooks and outlines approaches and methods that adults can use to soothe, teach, and encourage the youngster through difficult times. The contents cover topics of anger management, depression, listening, a chapter on anxiety, fear, and phobias, and chapters on abandonment, grief, divorce, bullying, obedience, disability, caring and compassion, and forgiveness. For each chapter and topic, Dr. Stubblefield references the stories to be highlighted by the parent in the goal of therapeutic communications and interactions. She explains the nature of the emotions, points out how they are worked through productively, and what behaviors parents might need to avoid. Techniques mentioned in the bedtime stories are presented in the Guide to help parents and children learn effective coping skills in order to deal with today’s issues in a practical, common-sense manner. These techniques include Active Listening, Anger Management, Calming Imagery, and Relaxation Skills Training, for example. In the chapter for “Anger Management, Dr. Stubblefield explains that anger and frustration are normal feelings but it is how we manage them that is most important. “As a parent," she writes, "it is important to maintain your calm even when angered. As an adult, you are to be an example of anger management and appropriate behavior.” She defines all or nothing thinking and how it can lead to a dysfunctional parenting style, as well as blaming and how it affects a child’s self- esteem. And, she asks the parents to stop and think and to see things from the child’s perspective. For the chapter on “Depression," Stubblefield explains that children do not exhibit depression in the same way as adults. Children can exhibit frustration, irritability, and anger when depressed, she writes. Referencing two stories from her bedtime storybooks, “Camp Bearable” and “Trust,” she gives the parent guidance on how to spend more time listening, how to model good coping skills, how to show affection, how to deal with stress, and how to keep a positive point of view. For the chapter “Listen,” and the stories, “A New Trainer” and “A Cowboy,” Stubblefield writes that communication is essential in establishing relationships, whether it is between a parent and child or a horse and its rider. She goes into depth on how the parent can develop skills in active listening. She instructs and explains how the listener must turn themselves off and tune into the child. She explains reflecting, paraphrasing, drawing out, and clarification. Among other recommendations, she includes tips on nonverbal communication, voice tone and gestures. In the chapter on “Anxiety, Fear, and Phobias,” Dr. Stubblefield uses the examples from numerous stories. In the story “Test Anxiety,” she explains the fear from a child’s perspective. The story proceeds to tell how the student, Gail, uses thought- stopping, positive thinking, calming imagery and diaphragmic breathing to overcome test anxiety regarding math tests at school. In the Guide, information about diaphragmic breathing aims to enable the parent to teach the technique to the child. Examples of thought-stopping and positive thinking are given for the parent to model. Since Gail attends a Christian school, she is encouraged to use prayer as a form of positive thinking. The Guide reminds the parents and caretakers of scripture verses and especially focuses on parents modeling the behaviors desired in their children. Not only is the Parental Guide a useful tool for parents, it is also a helpful resource for family therapists who can utilize and recommend to their clients ways to facilitate the therapeutic process at home. Reading a story in a therapy session about a specific problem addressed in one of the Bedtime storybooks could be an effective way to break the ice, form a connection with a child client, and introduce therapy techniques that otherwise might be ignored. Children are often fascinated by horses and have many questions about the stories. Therefore, a glossary of "horse" terms is included to better understand the horses’ world depicted in the stories. From the book: "Dr. Beverly Stubblefield has always loved horses. She loves psychotherapy, too. In 2006 she combined the two through The Equestrian Therapy Center of Slidell. After 30 years of clinical practice, Dr. Stubblefield has again combined her two loves, this time through writing. "Dr. Stubblefield received her Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Mississippi. In retirement, she obtained a Diploma in Biblical Studies from Samford University. Dr. Stubblefield and her husband, Edgar Burton Kemp, IV, reside in North Mississippi, where she continues to write and ride horses." Bedtime Stories from the Barn, More Bedtime Stories from the Barn, and the Parental Guide to Bedtime Stories from the Barn may be purchased through Xlibris at www.xlibris.com or by contacting the author, Beverly A. Stubblefield, PhD, at basphd2019@gmail.com.
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Dr. Cunningham Gives Invited Address Psychologists Present at APA
The American Psychological Association held its convention last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to the program and APA officials, Louisiana psychological scientists and researchers from Tulane, Louisiana State University, and LSU Health Sciences Center presented at the national conference.
Tulane University
Michael Cunningham, PhD from Tulane University gave an Invited Address on, “Research with Black Populations: Examples with Adolescents and Implications for Researchers.”
Dr. Cunningham's presentation covered theory, research, and translational work with African American adolescents. The presenter also provided empirical examples which focused on resilience and vulnerability in youth as well as the outlets for this work. Anneliese A. Singh with Tulane University, coauthored, “Supporting Trans and Nonbinary Black, Latinx, and POC Communities—Liberatory Research and Practice.” Presenters reviewed the findings of studies important to understanding the resilience, risk, identity development, and well-being experiences of Black, Latinx, and POC communities in order to advance research and practice. David Chae with Tulane University, coauthored, “The Future of Science on Racism: Psychology and Public Health at the Intersection.” Authors said: Population health requires researchers to think about the systems and institutions that shape health, namely the Social Determinants of Health. This session brought together four experts in psychology and public health to discuss the intersection of psychology and population health on people of color. Evan A. Krueger, PhD at Tulane University coauthored, “Cannabis Vaping Among LGBT+ and Cisgender Heterosexual Young Adults in Southern California.” Sarah A.O. Gray, PhD, Hilary Skov, BS, Anna R. Wilson, BS, and Victoria Parker, BS, all from Tulane University collaborated on, “RSA Reactivity and Exposure to COVID-19 Stressors Co- Contribute to Children's Subjective COVID-19 Stress.” Sarah A.O. Gray, Hilary Skov, BS, and Allison Pequet, BA, all from Tulane University collaborated on, “Child Maltreatment and Emotion Regulation: Examining Household Chaos During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Louisiana State University
Matthew Calamia, PhD from Louisiana State University, coauthored, “WIN/JCEN Sneak Peek into the Special Issue on Mentoring in Neuropsychology.” The Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (JCEN) is collaborating with Women in Neuropsychology (WIN; APA Division 40, Society of Clinical Neuropsychology, SCN Committee) for a forthcoming special issue on mentoring in neuropsychology. Raymond Tucker, PhD and Emma Moscardini, MA both from Louisiana State University presented with coauthors on, “A Psychometric Evaluation of the Interpersonal Hopelessness Scale.” Erin M. Todd, PhD, MS at Louisiana State University presented with coauthors on, “Negative Affect Moderates Emotional Job Engagement on Creative Job Performance During COVID-19.” Erin M. Todd, PhD, MS with Louisiana State University also presented with coauthors on, “How Changes in Telecommuting and Feedback Impacts Creative Job Performance.”
Louisiana State Health Sciences Center
Sebastián Del Corral Winder, PsyD from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center–New Orleans presented with coauthors on, “Recognizing Whiteness: A Qualitative Exploration.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 3.
In an August 18 press release, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) said it has started reporting additional demographic data for Louisiana monkeypox patients on the LDH monkeypox dashboard. These demographic data show striking racial disparities: Nearly 60% of monkeypox cases in Louisiana have occurred among Black Louisianans, and about 27% have occurred among white Louisianans. Among the cases included in today’s demographic analysis, approximately 95% have occurred in males. "We felt it was critical to release this analysis so we could shine a light on these disparities and the need for us all to do more," said LDH State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter. "This requires a whole of Louisiana effort."
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 3.
According to press release last month, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced Congressman Garret Graves’ legislation to expand and improve Veterans health care in the Greater Baton Rouge area, and south Louisiana. The legislation is expected to be signed into law within weeks. The Baton Rouge VA clinic has been identified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as one of the nation’s most urgently needed facility expansions due to limited space and separate buildings at the current Essen Lane location. The VA clinic has been unable to expand due to outdated bureaucrat budget restrictions over lease restrictions and deferred improvements, which ultimately denies Veterans the care they’ve earned. Graves’ legislation would kickstart the urgent VA relocation process, which they were otherwise prohibited to do. “Veterans in Baton Rouge and south Louisiana deserve medical care equal to their bravery. The cramped and jammed conditions of the current VA Clinic in Baton Rouge hamper the caregivers and deny the best we can offer our Veterans," Graves said. “Veterans across the US suffer due unnecessary, inexplicable bureaucracy. […] "It’s more like Veterans paying for ridiculous calculator gymnastics instead of focusing on getting their best care. It shouldn’t take an Act of Congress to get veterans the care they’ve earned and deserve.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 8. Source pages: 2.
by J. Nelson The state psychology board, which has let us know in both overt and covert communications that the real reason they want to register assistants is that they need the money, is planning a new level of micromanagement.
Last year they pushed through their own legislation giving themselves the right to create this new category of registration. Sadly, the state association supported this move, primarily because at that time the association president and the chair of the board were BFFs. No deep thinking or analysis was accomplished.
Also, tragically, leaders convinced young psychologists that without this legislation and new level of red tape the board would go belly up. A clever use of persuasion science — the best way to manipulate people is to create a “big fear.“ Now it looks like we’re not only going to have new fees/taxes on assistants, which unfairly impacts the entrepreneurial leg of our profession, but we’re going to have serious micromanagement.
Psychologists are completely capable of selecting and supervising their own assistants. But now, as usual in growing a bureaucracy, the board Intends to have its nose stuck into people's business, all the way to new investigations.
The Board is poised to go forward, with a cry of, “We are protecting the public,” the mantra they always throw at everybody, regardless of the fact that psychology is a very safe profession. This is also regardless of how inefficient, ineffective, and costly their poorly designed and unscientific methods really are.
The only thing that can stop them now is if the citizens (psychologists) rise up and object to the absurd level of micromanagement that seems to be the Board’s plan for the Rules.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 8. Source pages: 2.
I must compliment you on your well-articulated editorial on the legislative audit of the LSBEP. I was wondering how the LSBME addresses their complaint process and how the issues of utility, reliability and validity which you adroitly broached have been previously measured by other state boards of examiners of psychologists. No sense reinventing the wheel if possible.
It will be interesting if Dr. Gibson is up to the task, but the problem and solution(s) most certainly go(es) beyond her tenure. And therein may be the rub that the annual tenure/turnover may preclude significant ownership of change and outcome by the board.
Howard Blevins, Ph.D. Lafayette, Louisiana
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 8. Source pages: 2.
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading the Psychology Times. I am amazed at the quality efforts of our peers both in scholarship and application.
I particularly enjoy your editorials and Al Burstein's very erudite, literary reviews. Al followed me as chair (head) of psychology at SLU. Great guy!
Thanks for all of your efforts in keeping us informed.
Thomas J. Lipscomb, Ph.D. Professor, Educational Research The University of Southern Mississippi Professor Emeritus of Psychology Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 8. Source pages: 7.
According to the Boards and Commissions website (see screenshot above), the state psychology board has hired Adrienne Aucoin for the position of in-house attorney. The posting indicated that her salary would be $60,000 per year. Other internet information suggests that she has been licensed for approximately 13 years, although this could not be verified.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 8. Source pages: 8.
by J. Nelson & J. Glass
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade, shifting decisions to the state level, has left many in Louisiana mental health community guessing due to the tangled web of court challenges, procedural maneuvers, and new legislation. The legal, ethical and moral issues for those counseling women are anything but clear.
In 2006 Governor Kathleen Blanco signed a strict ban on abortion into law if Roe v. Wade was ever over turned, reported Sam Karlin of The Advocate. This June, Governor Edwards signed an updated version of the same measure.
However, after the Supreme Court decision, an Orleans Civil District Judge blocked the enforcement of that ban and then another Judge ruled in favor of the ban. In July another Judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the state from enforcing the trigger ban, reported The Advocate.
Complicating issues even more, this year’s legislative session included Act 545 which notes that laws prohibiting or restricting abortion are not to be negated. But Act 548 may be even more important to those counseling women because it creates the crime of abortion by means of abortion inducing drugs. This includes delivery of a drug to a person in Louisiana by mail: "… prohibits delivery to a person in Louisiana by mail-order, courier, or as a result of a sale made via the internet in violation of new law."
The Times asked the liability professionals at The Trust* for their perspectives and they referred us to their review article.
"The Trust developed Preliminary Risk Management Guidance in The Face of Dobbs," said Dr. Jana Martin, CEO of The Trust, "to help psychologists while acknowledging the difficulties in providing such guidance given the variability in state regulations and the quickly changing information. We highlight practice considerations, provide examples of potential issues, and provide risk management advice. We will update the document as new developments arise," Dr. Martin said.
Included in their review, available online, authors note, "At this point, several states have already made abortion illegal or strictly regulated its practice. Other states may follow. Those with known legal risks include: abortion providers; those who recommend or who help others to obtain abortions; and women who seek abortions. For the most part, psychologists are not included in this group and are not at immediate risk. However, there are several possible scenarios which may put psychologists at risk in the future.
"Currently, due to the uncertainty about how matters will proceed in the wake of Dobbs and the many yet-unanswered questions, it is not possible to give detailed or specific guidance to psychologists about particular Dobbs-related risks. Each state that chooses to ban abortion will have to pass additional legislation, issue regulations or judicial decisions, or exercise prosecutorial discretion before the specific risks can be ascertained. These actions are likely to be challenged in court. Licensing Boards will have to weigh in when they get complaints against psychologists. All of this will take some time–months rather than weeks.
"It is unlikely that psychologists will immediately have to change the way they are practicing, but psychologists should avoid giving direct recommendations regarding abortion or engaging in activities such as driving clients across state lines or financing such trips." The Trust authors give the following Risk Management Advice:
1. Avoid the above-discussed boundary violations with patients/clients. 2. At this time, it is hard to imagine that psychologists will be at serious risk by listening to a client discuss their thoughts and feelings about what to do regarding an unwanted pregnancy. However, it is important for psychologists to be aware of and careful about their own personal reactions. The safest option is for psychologists to remain neutral about the subject. Patients/clients, even those who are not considering an abortion, may want to discuss what Dobbs means and may press psychologists for their opinions on the decision. 3. Consulting with colleagues will be very important for all of us when we are faced with abortion-related situations that engender powerful feelings, or when dealing with novel situations where legal and other related ramifications are not yet clear. 4. Take careful notes about conversations you have with patients/clients on the topic of abortion. You may want to consider noting these discussions in your “psychotherapy notes” (a second set of notes kept apart from the required chart notes), which can provide an extra level of privacy protection in states that recognize such notes. 5. Be mindful of what you choose to post on social
6. media sites. If you are practicing under PSYPACT, be aware of the laws of any states you are practicing into and be prepared to obtain consultation on abortion-related issues that may arise in doing interjurisdictional work. 7. When faced with difficult situations, call The Trust Advocate 800 Program (800-477-1200) for a consult. 8. Try not to condemn colleagues who disagree with you.
The complete article can be found at: https://www.trustinsurance.com/Resources/Articles/preliminar y-risk-management-guidance-in-the-face-of-dobbs
*[Editor's note: The Trust is a paid advertiser of The Psychology Times]
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
I was nine years old when I received my earliest lesson in the First Amendment. It was the 1960s, and my father took on the Ku Klux Klan. He was the editor/publisher of a weekly newspaper in what was surely the poorest, most backward place in God’s green creation–Coushatta, Louisiana, the county seat of Red River Parish. It was a long battle over secrecy and ignorance, with lots of skirmishes to protect the public's right to know what was really happening in their community.
One evening just after dark, our family was sitting at the dining room table, finishing supper. As was typical, my father was talking and everyone else was listening, or at least pretending to listen. My mother and father were both classically trained journalists in the small, sleepy little parish. They always talked about the human dramas that unfolded in this backwoods, rural community, the people and the news. This night was no different.
Our dinner table was situated in front of three large windows and I had a view of our large, half-acre yard, now black with night. I was finishing dinner when a small light flickered out in the dark and caught my attention. I squinted. I waited and watched the light grow brighter and brighter. Finally, I pointed to interrupt my father, and asked, “What is that?”
Everyone at the table turned to look. Then we all saw it. The light grew larger and took shape. In the middle of the yard was a burning cross. Not just any cross, but one of those famous KKK crosses, now fully ablaze. The wood was burning away and the flames were dripping down to the grass. The yard was catching on fire and flames marching to the ditch and down the highway.
What seemed to be only minutes later, the local fire department truck roared into our driveway, and slammed to a stop. Men jumped down and began to water down the fire.
We discovered later that the KKK members had waited across the road in a cow pasture to see my father’s reaction. But when no one in our family noticed the cross, fire, or how it was spreading, the Klan members, who were also members of the fire department, had to call for help themselves. Coushatta was a very small town. It was not a particularly successful cross burning. The next day my father had me draw up a sign that said, “See genuine KKK cross, 25¢” and we placed the sign next to the burned cross. He took a photo of the cross, the sign, and the yard, and put the photograph and the whole story of what had happened on the front page of the newspaper for the next week’s edition.
It was just the beginning of the 60s Civil Rights era.
In 2014, I had the honor of meeting W.C. “Dub” Shoemaker who spoke to attendees at the joint Mississippi–Louisiana Press convention in Biloxi on the topic, “Freedom Summer – 50 years later.”
“Freedom Summer” is the name given to 10 weeks in the summer of 1964, depicted in the movie Mississippi Burning. Dub called this the "Pearl Harbor" of the Civil Rights era. He covered the events as a reporter for the Jackson Daily News.
Almost 60 years ago in Philadelphia, Mississippi, near Meridian and not far from Jackson, three Civil Rights volunteers were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Two young white men and one African-American man had come from New York to register Blacks to vote. In a planned attack, aided by members of the local sheriff’s office, the men were killed and their bodies hidden.
Dub told the audience that he felt the 1960s Civil Rights era held the same significance in our country’s history as the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and Industrial Revolution.
Only after the presentation did it dawn on me the timeline connecting the Freedom Summer and what my father called “The Klan Wars.” –– my fathers efforts to challenge and expose the Klan in Red River Parish.
It was not 1964, but February 1961, when my father snuck into the trees surrounding a Klan organizing event. The Klan had marched from Shreveport to rally members in a field not too far from Coushatta and the next day my father published his front- page editorial, “Against the Fall of Night.”
The editorial was a bold shot across the bow. He wrote that the Klan was a subversive group, that its members operate “in the shadow of darkness,” and that they were capable of murder. He wrote that there was no vacuum in the law for the Klan to fill in the parish and for them to “… get the Hell out of Red River Parish.”
Letters poured in both supporting and condemning his editorial and him. He lost advertisers. One wrote in his ad, “Please forgive Gordon, he knows not what he did.” And, “… if the Klan does something I don’t like, I hope I have the sense enough not to antagonize them.”
The Citizen received a letter from the National Imperial Wizard of the “Invisible Empire: Original Ku Klux Klan,” who wrote, “… your statements were made only from the fact that you are dominated with the eternal hatred that comes from Communists, the NAACP, and the ADL ….” And, “No amount of smears, slander, and misrepresentation by all these groups, plus your own little nonsensical epithets, will stop the Klan in her ride for Americanism, Christianity, and the right to be free men.”
A local reader addressed his envelope to “Know All Nelson,” and asked, “Where do you get the right to tell an organization ‘to get the Hell out of Red River Parish?’ Better make it good.”
Another wrote, “Your big mouth will be the means of your hide winding up in a tan yard and some woman will be toting it around made into a big hand bag.”
But support was just as strong. “It was wonderful and expresses our sentiments exactly. Just wish there were more like you ….” And another, “It was brilliant and brave….”
The editorial was taken up and reprinted around the state and elsewhere, more letters coming in. “Dear Sir, In main editorial of B. Rouge State Times about mid-week I read with Joy of your article & a few quotes therein. To me, yours is first, & B.R. second to come out boldly against K.K.K.”
An editorial in the Lafourche Comet, said, “He minced no words in telling subscribers of his dislike for any man who hid under a bedsheet while attempting to subvert the laws of the state and the country,” and the Comet’s editorial reprinted in the Opelousas Daily World.
Ronnie Hicks, the then assistant director of the La. Press Association wrote, “It is the editor with guts who has made the community newspaper of this country the most powerful voice in the life of its citizens.” […] “It made me awfully damn proud to read that editorial…”
The editorial and later reporting of news, polarized the community and aggravated the Klan. Crosses were burned, including the one on our yard. Threatening calls and letters were on-going. The Klan’s night rides continued.
My father wrote his brother that the joke on the street was, “Who would be the newspaper’s publisher after Gordon?” The FBI sent two agents down and our family was put under guard.
The Klan Wars in Red River parish continued for a while and then ended, not with a bang, but a sputter. Somewhere along the way the Klan took all their files, flags, and icons south to Natchitoches Parish and set up shop in the small township of Campti. Years later my father told me that many of the members resigned after he threatened to put their names in the paper. Most were businessmen and depended on the African- American community’s patronage.
The editorial became a catalyst for retaliatory actions against my father, the Citizen, and our family. The KKK burned crosses and sent death threats. J. Edgar Hoover sent two men in black suits to help ensure the safety of our family. The paper's efforts to expose the secretive activities of the Klan lead to state and national awards and even an informal Honorable Mention from the Pulitzer Prize judges.
But did anything really work? Was it a good thing or a bad thing that my father polarized the community, kicking over the beehive?
After Dub Shoemaker’s presentation, I studied more closely the letters my father received after his "Fall of Night" editorial. This time, one in particular stood out.
The editor-publisher of the Deer Creek Pilot, the newspaper in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, wrote telling my father the editorial was a “darn good job” and important.
Then he said something that in hindsight stands out. “Luckily, we do not and have not had any such activity here. For that matter, I know of no place in the state where the Klan is active in any way.”
Rolling Fork was only 125 miles from where the Civil Rights workers were killed three years later. When the 200 FBI agents sent by J. Edgar Hoover combed through 10 Mississippi counties, searching for those three missing volunteers, they uncovered the bodies of eight other murdered Black men.
Are there bodies buried in Red River Parish? Or did my father successfully chase the Klan away?
My father was certainly no paragon, he was as flawed as the rest of us, maybe more so. But he understood the nature of secrecy and what it can do, and I think he’d seen some things growing up in Mississippi that impacted him.
It’s just part of history now. Many these days may not even understand the role of the small town publishers of weekly newspapers, and the public's right to know.
But to my mind, from all these years later and the luxury of a perspective that my father and mother did not have, it seems it was a fine example of when to kick over the beehive.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 7. Source pages: 2.
Seeing Beyond the Administrative Nose on Our Face by J. Nelson
I found a kindred spirit with Dr. Tom Hannie who always reminded me that he approached every new forensic case like a research study. There’s a certain humility to that, and a comfort in knowing our judgments emerge from a scientific process.
I am thankful for the Louisiana Legislative auditors’ critique of our state Board. (See story page 1.) It is a good start at much needed reform. The auditors, very politely, pointed out multiple inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the Complaints Committee processes. These problems would have otherwise remained invisible because the data is not accessible to any form of public records request.
The auditors’ suggested solutions—more fines and more regulations—are premature. The auditors, as would be expected, have one level of analysis, an administrative, tactical, and/or bureaucratic level. They had no way to look at the total system, the way psychologists can by using the tools of our science.
From an organizational psychology perspective, the complaints committee can be viewed as an intervention. We can see it as containing causal, intervening, and outcome variables. With adequately measured (scaled) variables we can assess reliability, and then validity. We can find out if we're actually accomplishing anything meaningful. We might even eventually assess utility, the cost per unit of outcome.
The auditors' review found that the complaints process lacked even minimal efforts at scaling, what they called a “matrix.”
Matters such as utility cannot be addressed from a narrow administrative perspective. This is why many government agencies, and also many business organizations, grow their bureaucracy and continue with poor outcomes and cost overruns.
We might be looking at the same bureaucratic mindset when it comes to Dr. Greg Gormanous' request for ADA accom- modations. (See page 1.) He is being refused virtual attendance because of open meetings laws. But there is no real evidence the virtual participation would inhibit the public's rights. It might just promote transparency.
Group dynamics tell us that the Board can either be productive, accomplishing valid, real work, or it can protect its own self- interests. A set way of doing things and costly, ineffective programs are often the result of the latter.
I am not nearly as polite or diplomatic as the auditors. The Board has been sorely mismanaged, and needs both structural and process reforms. There is an invisible toll being taken on those unlucky enough to get caught in the complaints process. And the licensees are the ones who also pay the bill for a problematic complaints program with skyrocketing costs.
So thank goodness for the auditors, as far as it goes. Now, more is required from psychological scientists.
One interesting side note from the auditors' report––You can now have an allegation that you are "rude." The hypersensitive culture has reached all the way into board complaints.
[Julie Nelson is a licensed psychologist, journalist, and publisher of the Times. She also holds other positions in the community. However, her opinions here are those of her own, and do not represent any group or association. She and the Times receive no compensation other than paid advertising. Email her at drj@drjulienelson.com, ––she welcomes feedback.]
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 7. Source pages: 3.
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that he signed bills from the 2022 Regular Legislative Session. These included:
ACT 64…SB 61 Creates "Mental Health" special prestige license plate.
ACT 75…SB 66 Enhances penalties for violation of a protective order when committed while in possession of a firearm.
ACT 81…SB 165 Provides for internal claims and appeals process and external review procedures for health insurance issuers.
ACT 82…SB 169 Requires annual meetings of and reports from the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission.
ACT 83…SB 194 Provides relative to the membership of the Louisiana Health Works Commission.
ACT 119…HB 81 Provides relative to the Occupational Licensing Review Commission.
ACT 120…SB 40 Provides relative to protections for foster children.
ACT 129…SB 136 Provides relative to protections for emergency room personnel, emergency services personnel, and healthcare professionals.
ACT 130…SB 148 Provides for post- conviction relief for victims of human trafficking.
ACT 132…SB 366 Prohibits certain health insurance cost-sharing practices.
ACT 140…HB 265 Provides relative to victim notification. ACT 143…HB 286 Provides relative to healthcare provider credentialing in the Medicaid managed care program.
ACT 151…HB 334 Provides relative to employment with behavioral health services providers of peer support specialists.
ACT 173…SB 64 Provides relative to crimes of violence and sex offenses.
ACT 180…SB 94 Provides relative to instruction on child assault awareness and prevention in public schools.
ACT 188…HB 784 Provides relative to universal perinatal mood disorder screening for primary care doctors.
ACT 189…HB 826 Includes addiction counselors and other behavioral health providers within the definition of "healthcare provider" in the La. Telehealth Access Act.
ACT 210…HB 337 Establishes a special identification card designation for persons with autism spectrum disorder.
ACT 220…HB 447 Provides relative to certain violent crimes committed by juveniles.
ACT 296…SB 106 Provides relative to disciplinary proceedings by a professional or occupational board or commission.
ACT 324…HB 245 Provides relative to minors taken into protective custody from schools.
ACT 326…HB 266 Provides relative to the Louisiana Commission on HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C Education, Prevention, and Treatment.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 7. Source pages: 5.
In a June 24 press release, Governor John Bel Edwards' office announced that following a routine COVID-19 test after returning from travel, he has tested positive for COVID-19. The Governor is fully vaccinated against COVID and up-to-date on recommended booster doses. The Governor does not currently have symptoms and will follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for people who have tested positive for COVID- 19 and will isolate for five days.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.