7/10/2020
Virtual event with keynote by Marc Morial, surprise guest appearance marks formation of the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice Alumni Association
Civic engagement is the backbone of a strong community and society. Recognizing this fact, United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law launched the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice Alumni Association with a special virtual event on July 2.
The new alumni association will engage the Institute’s nearly 100 graduates to build their collective capacity to improve our community through advocacy and public policy and further the program’s mission to “reclaim civil discourse.”
During the launch event, former New Orleans mayor and National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial spoke to participants on the importance of studying the Constitution from a perspective that recognizes it as an imperfect document, which successive generations have fought to improve and correct injustices like slavery and voting rights exclusions.
“…Our governing document is not a static document. It’s not static in the way it is interpreted, it’s not static in that we can never make it better,” Morial stressed. “Each time it has been made better, it has leaned into embracing the rights of people…We must fight any effort to retrench on the progress that has been made.”
Also during the program, Center for Civic Education Executive Director Christopher Riano made a surprise appearance to encourage alumni to use the tools they learned to take an active role in promoting social justice. The Marsiglia Institute uses the center’s “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” textbook as part of its curriculum.
The event’s date added to its significance – the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. The Institute’s Alumni Association is currently in a one-month joining period and will convene members in the coming months to determine the association’s structure and programming.
The Marsiglia Institute brings together community members with diverse backgrounds and political ideologies to study the founding principles of U.S. government through the articles, Bill of Rights, and amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
For more information on the Institute and future classes visit UnitedWaySELA.org/Marsiglia-Institute.