Honoring the life of Chrispon Hebert Charles, Jr.
Chrispon Herbert Charles, Jr. was a 21 year old New Orleans veteran whose life was unjustly taken on July 4, 1949. The Chrispon H. Charles, Jr. Foundation, founded by niece, Wanda Charles, continues his legacy by providing literacy to young people as a means of social and racial justice.
A civil rights violation…
On July 4, 1949 21-year-old New Orleans veteran got into a family disagreement. Chrispon Charles, Sr. called New Orleans police to report that his son, 21-year-old Chrispon Charles, Jr., had broken into his home at 3901 Panama Court and refused to leave. Charles Sr. had asked Charles, Jr. to move out several days before, as Charles, Jr. was struggling to find employment due to numerous health issues. By the time New Orleans police officers Emry Landry and Elois Sahuc arrived at Charles, Sr.’s house just before noon, Charles Jr. was gone. Charles, Sr. accompanied Landry and Sahuc in their squad car to help find his son.
From the back seat, Charles, Sr. saw his son in front of the Hercules bar at 3127 Broadway Street and pointed him out to the officers.
The officers ordered Charles, Sr. to get out of the squad car after he finished helping get Charles, Jr. into the back seat. Charles, Sr. stood close by. After an alleged scuffle with officers, Charles was shot seven times as he sat in the back of the police car.
Case summary
Incident
On July 11, 1949, a grand jury issued a vote of “no true bills.” According to FBI files, a stenographer was not present at the proceedings and thus no transcript of the minutes from the hearing exists.
The stories differed between police and witness testimony, including Charles’ father, who was there when arresting officers killed his son. The case was reopened later that year.
Louisiana attorney James McCain made a request to the district attorney on the basis of four new witness statements that indicated that Charles Jr. was “wantonly and unnecessarily killed.” In his letter, McCain wrote, “Charles at the time was in the automobile and was shot six or seven times by the policeman, who stood on the outside and shot into the car. Charles had no weapon of any kind.”
The FBI dropped the case and the outcome of civil action filed by Charles’ family is unknown.
But research by the Civil Rights review team uncovered new documents they were able to present to Charles’ surviving family, including his niece, Wanda Charles, a Gwinnett County teacher.
The Aftermath
About Ms. Wanda Charles…
Ms. Wanda Charles is a lifelong educator, mother of three, and beloved grandmother whose 37-year teaching career has touched generations of students. Known as “the sweetest, most loved teacher,” Ms. Charles believes teaching is both her calling and her gift from God.
Her students still reach out decades later to thank her for believing in them, inspiring them to read, and teaching them to love learning.
