Rev. Charles Guillory named to Justice Hall of Fame

Rev. Charles E. Guillory, long-time pastor of St. John Community Church-Baptist in Marksville, is one of seven individuals being inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame this year.

Among the other members of the LJHF “Class of 2018” is Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Guillory joins retired Supreme Court Justice Jeanette Knoll, former Distrist Attorney Edward Knoll and the Knoll family (2007), retired Army Gen. Sherian Cadoria (2008) and current District Attorney Charles Riddle (2012) as Avoyelleans inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The event will be at 6 p.m. on Friday (July 6) in Lod Cook Alumni Center at 3848 W. Lakeshore Dr. in Baton Rouge. Tickets are $75 each and include a meal at the awards banquet. Tickets must be pre-purchased.

The event will also recognize the 2018 Law Enforce-ment Officer of the Year, Ruel B. “Bucky” Rives Jr. of East Baton Rouge Parish.

The Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame museum is located in the Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum just outside the gates of the prison at Angola, at the end of La. Hwy 66 in West Feliciana Parish.

The museum will sponsor a reception at 10:30 a.m. July 6. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. to reveal the display cases for the new inductees.

Guillory, who lives between Mansura and Hessmer, is being honored for his work in the area of social justice.

“I have been involved in the ministry of trying to provide services for the underserved,” Guillory said.

PAST EFFORTS
As president of a local teachers union, Guillory worked to ensure equity in hiring minorities for principal, assistant principal, coaching and teaching positions after the desegregation of the schools in the 1960s.

He was a teacher for 16 years, starting at the all-black Bethune High School in Marksville before desegregation and then at Marksville Junior High and then Marksville High after desegregation. Guillory was promoted to federal programs supervisor, a position he held for 17 years until retiring from the School System with 33 years of service.

While engaged in his career as an educator, Guillory also served as pastor for four churches. He was pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist in Mansura for 10 years.

He pastored two churches, Greater New Bethel Baptist in Simmesport and New Morning Glory Baptist in Ruby, at the same time for eight years. He was called by St. John Community Church-Baptist in Marksville in 1987 and has been pastor of that church for 31 years.

Guillory was president of Avoyelles Coalition Taskforce and led efforts to reapportion the School Board and Police Jury to increase minority representation on those boards.

Another campaign for social justice and equity was to allow minority citizens to hold wakes and funeral services for their deceased loved ones in funeral homes.

“Back in the 1960s or early 1970s, blacks could not have a wake in the funeral home,” Guillory said. “If they wanted a wake, they had to have it in their home.”

He filed suit to stop the practice and the practice was stopped.

“All the other funeral homes followed, so there was no need to sue each one individually,” he added.

“What I did wasn’t just for blacks,” Guillory continued. “It was for all people who did not have the privileges that others had. I guess the best way to say it is that if I felt something was unjust, I pursued it until I could change it.”

“My feeling on this is reflected in Amos 5:24, which says, ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.’” Guillory said he is honored to be inducted into the Justice Hall of Fame.

“It speaks to the fact that those trying to make a difference to bring about justice and equality are still being recognized for their efforts,” he said.

He and his wife of 50 years, Rubie Franklin Guillory, have a son, a daughter and one granddaughter.

Besides Guillory and Edwards, the other inductees are C.M. “Marty” Lensing, a warden and professor from East Baton Rouge Parish; Helena Nancy Moreno, a New Orleans City Council member; Jimmy Pohlmann, St. Bernard Parish sheriff; Mike Stone, Lincoln Parish sheriff; La. National Guard Maj. Gen. Joanne F. Sheridan of Vernon Parish.

For tickets and information, contact the museum at 225-655-2592, or by emailing Donna Nicholas at www.donnanicholas@angolamuseum.org.