La. Governor Turns Heads By Enrolling in HBCU Law School - Mike Foster

Black Issues in Higher Education, Sept 14, 2000 by Scott Dyer

And shortly after he was inaugurated in early 1996, Foster infuriated Louisiana's African American leaders by moving to rid state government of programs that provided preferences based on race or gender. Foster's stance on that issue culminated in a civil-rights march on the State Capitol organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The event attracted thousands of protesters.

The specter of Duke raised its head again in 1996 when Foster vowed to support any Republican -- even Duke -- who won a runoff spot against a Democrat in the U.S. Senate race.

In both his original 1995 gubernatorial campaign and his 1999 re-election bid, Foster received almost no support from the African American community because he was facing Black opponents. Former U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, squared off against Foster in the 1995 gubernatorial runoff, and U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, unsuccessfully challenged Foster last year.

But in recent months, Foster has shown signs of warming relations with the state's African American leaders.

Over the past two months, in rapid succession, Foster has appointed three African Americans to key administrative posts -- Cynthia Bridges was named the new Louisiana state secretary of revenue, Terry Landry was tapped as the new superintendent for Louisiana State Police and Don Hutchinson was appointed as the state's new Secretary of Economic Development.

The moves prompted approval from African American leaders who had previously decried the lack of color in Foster's administration. But Foster had denied that he considered race in making the appointments.

"That means absolutely nothing, except they just happened to be the best people for the job," Foster says.

"It is interesting, but it's simply that when I started looking for the best people, those were the best people."