(Photo Courtesy theadvocate.com)

When The Honorable Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, the first African-American and second female Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court was sworn in on the on the steps of the courthouse in the French Quarter in February, 2013, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu @SenLandrieu waxed poetic on Chief  Justice Johnson’s strengths to the Nola Defender.

“From advocating with the NAACP, to helping implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to now becoming Louisiana’s first African American Supreme Court Justice, Bernette Johnson’s life and career is a testament to the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement and the long line of Americans who fought tirelessly to open the doors of equality,” Landrieu said.

A headshot of Wendell Pierce wearing a pinstripe suit and a blue striped tie.

In honor of his real life tireless work and unwavering dedication to the people of New Orleans, especially those in vulnerable communities, Mr. Wendell Pierce has been chosen to receive a Special Recognition Award to be given at the 2014 NDA Civil Rights Luncheon.

Attendees at the National Dental Association 101st Annual Convention July 25-29 in Louisiana will be in the presence of greatness when Chief Justice Johnson takes the stage as keynote speaker for the event’s Civil Rights Luncheon.

Chief Justice Johnson, a native of New Orleans, is a graduate of Spelman College, and was the first African-American woman to attend the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University where she received her Juris Doctorate degree in 1969. An advocate for social justice and civil rights, she is recognized as a trailblazer in the judiciary, and has received numerous awards for her contributions to her profession and the community.

During the luncheon, Tony Award winning actor and activist Wendall Pierce @WendellPierce will receive a Special Recognition Award for his efforts in support of the New Orleans community following Hurricane Katrina. As the star of the HBO television series, Treme @watchingtreme, set in the city of New Orleans, Pierce portrays a native working to rebuild the vibrancy of the city and the lives of its people.