(AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards has created a new award to commemorate Louisiana’s only Black governor and to acknowledge the contributions of African American leaders in the state.
The Democratic governor held the first P.B.S. Pinchback breakfast Thursday and gave the P.B.S. Legacy Award to retired Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson.
Johnson is the first Black person and second woman to hold that position.
The event was created to mark the legacy of Pinchback, a Black man who briefly served as Louisiana's governor during Reconstruction.
This year is the 100th anniversary of Pinchback’s death.
