(EDITOR’S NOTE: There were many events that took place in LaSalle Parish during the year that ends Sunday night, however, the staff of this newspaper has taken time to carefully consider them all and compile our Top Stories of 2023.
Getty/Bloomberg(LOUISIANA) Bryant Purvis was just 17 when he became a part of the "Jena Six." He and five other Black teens were accused and later convicted of attacking a white student at a high school in Jena, Louisiana, a town with a large majority of white residents, after a series of racially charged incidents there. The case against the teens became for many a symbol of racial discrimination in the justice system attempted murder charges for what supporters called a schoolyard fight. The charges were later dramatically reduced. Purvis, now 32, maintains he was not involved in the fight. He has since dedicated his time talking to students about racial injustice as a motivational speaker. He also authored the book, "My Story as a Jena 6," in 2015, but is now focused on his future beyond the "Jena Six" label. "At the time, it was just so much emotion," Purvis, who now lives in Dallas and has a 9-year-old son, told ABC News. "It was mo
Getty/Bloomberg(LOUISIANA) Bryant Purvis was just 17 when he became a part of the "Jena Six." He and five other Black teens were accused and later convicted