Belinda Parker Brown hosts virtual press conference at which she asserts Louisiana African-Americans facing trial are being “badgered” into accepting plea deals as law enforcement officials explain the alternative of “death by COVID-19 in prison.”

Sound Off Louisiana subscribers may recall our feature just before the Governor’s election at which community activist Belinda Parker Brown lambasted the media’s concerted efforts to bury the existence of Dr. Omar Dantzler’s campaign for Governor from the general public.  Dantzler is African American, and Brown asserted that, by burying Dantzler’s campaign, the media was subjecting him to “sophisticated bondage.”

Brown, who is the fonder and CEO of Louisiana United International, was joined by other panelists to conduct a virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.  The focus was to elaborate upon the LUI position statement on COVID-19 as it pertains to imprisoned African Americans.   A few of Brown’s panelists for the press conference include:

 Dr. Zena Crenshaw-Logal, J. D., Executive Director at National Judicial Conduct and Disability;

 Gordon L. Wiborg, Jr., retired Shohomist, Washington Police Chief; and

 Lisa Davis, Vice Chair of the Black is Back Coalition (along with Betty Davis, who is also a BBC member but no family relation to Lisa).

Let’s take a look at a couple of video segments of the virtual press conference, after which we’re going to provide the video of the press conference in its entirety:

Brown emphasizes LUI has “boots on the ground” in Louisiana’s prison and legal communities, and she alleges that African Americans trials have been stalled, “for over 120 days in order to force, threaten, and badger people to take a plea.”

Retired Shohomish, Washington Police Chief Gordon L. Wiborg, Jr. addresses a recent statement made by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry that prison inmates should not be released as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual press conference in its entirety.