Emancipation Proclamation – Preview

A former slave, Polidore came to Louisiana from Virginia during the Civil War and fought on the Union side. After the war he settled in the area and changed his name to John Smith. He married Margurite Thomas and had six children. He was listed in the 1880 census as a laborer. He is buried in the Kenner Cemetery located in the Bonnet Carré Spillway. His descendants operated the Smith’s Grocery Store in Hahnville for more than 80 years. (Photo courtesy of descendant Carolyn Smith Boyd)

The Gleaner by Robert Fisher, a black American artist and educator at Destrehan High School.