In 1949, once he had his masters in criminology, Revius Ortique began a professional position with the Louisiana Department of Labor. He was the first black man to do so. Ortique found the position to be rewarding, because he could find jobs for African-Americans where they could make a decent living.
New Orleans had a tradition of honoring John McDonogh, who had left his fortune for the education of all children in the city. On this day, schoolchildren would place flowers at his statute. Not only was the event segregated, but every black school had to wait until every white school had finished, no matter how late in the day their school arrived. In 1954 Arthur J. Chapital, Sr., president of the local NAACP, asked the school board to allow the schools to go in alphabetical order. They said no. Chapital planned a boycott of the annual McDonogh Day.
Chapital asked Ortique, who had deep ties to organized labor, for assistance with the planned boycott. At the time, Ortique was a member of the American Federation of Government Employees and vice-president of the AFL-CIO in Louisiana. Ortique went on radio and told parents to keep theIr children home. They also sent letters to parents asking for their support.
When that day in May arrived, only a handful of black students and principles appeared.
That day also changed Ortique's career path. The successful boycott embarrassed Mayor Morrison, the Governor, the head of his department, and his supervisor. Since he was in the civil service, Ortique could not be fired. But they did let him know that he would not advance.
After discussing this news with his wife, Ortique decided to enter law school.
Subsequent years
