Louisiana State University Debuts an Oral History Project on Women Political Leaders

In partnership with universities throughout the state, the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs in the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University is spearheading an oral history initiative to preserve the legacies of Louisiana’s female political leaders.

The “Louisiana Women in Politics Oral History Project” will provide not only a historical record from important female public figures on some of Louisiana’s most notable chapters in history, but also document their career reflections and how they navigated unexplored, and sometimes, unwelcoming territory. Their stories will serve as a resource for both scholars and future generations of women considering careers in the political sphere.

The recordings will be housed at T. Harry Williams Center on the Louisiana State Univeersity campus with secondary repositories around the state including the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As women are elected to positions in future years, their oral history accounts may be added to the collection.

Jenée Slocum, director of the Reilly Center, stated that “while Louisiana women have served in elected office for decades, their presence is sparse even today, and their legacies go largely untold. This project will contribute to understanding women’s historical and current roles in governing, as well as the work left to do in realizing gender parity in Louisiana.”

Dr. Slocum is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where she majored in public relations. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in higher education and organizational change from the University of California, Los Angeles.