Early 2020 and on, Louisiana has faced a combination of social, human health, economic, political, and environmental crises which are unprecedented for modern times. These challenges compounded injury and pain for many:

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• A global pandemic with unprecedented hospitalization rates, mortality statistics, and unknown long-term impacts on the human body; as well as the economic hardship that accompanies it

• Unjust and deadly police-related incidents widely observed through social media, sparking public protests, garnering broad support under the banner Black Lives Matter—and reminding Baton Rougeans about the death of Alton Sterling in 2016

• Threats to constitutional governance as evidenced by attempted disenfranchisement and actual insurrection at statehouses and Congress

• Climate change impact and the associated storms, both summer, and winter, that wreak havoc on communities, especially those with insufficient resources and/or living in coastal areas susceptible to hurricanes and tropical storms.