1891 New Orleans Project
On March 14, 1891, 11 Italians were lynched by an organized mob set on their own form of justice. Thousands of mob members stormed the Orleans Parish Prison, where these innocent men were held, broke in and savagely killed and hanged the men, setting off a national and then an international scandal.
This set back Italian American relations, but, more significantly for those Italian immigrants as well as naturalized Italians in America, the bias and vitriol resulted in retribution, bias and opened a wound in the Italian American fabric for many years.
Successful in helping heal that wound, the Commission for Social Justice—the anti-bias arm of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy—engaged the current New Orleans Mayor for an official Proclamation of Apology, which was offered at a recent April 12, 2019 ceremony in New Orleans.
The Commission for Social Justice has started a fundraising drive to create a memorial for these Italian Americans. This fund drive is to support our efforts to engage a prominent artisan to create and deliver a striking MEMORIAL STATUE, to be erected in a prestigious location in New Orleans, with excess funds to educate fairness, acceptance and respect for ALL people. This memorial will serve to honor the 11 Italian immigrants who were lynched in New Orleans. It will also serve to pay tribute to the Italian American community and their contributions to our society.
Please join in and help. It WILL make a difference.
Business Directory
We are proud to spotlight the many businesses who support our efforts, and many of these companies offer perks and discounts to our members!
