NEW IBERIA, La. --- The Bayou Teche Museum will host a reception on Dec. 14 at the Sliman Theatre (129 E. Main St.) at 6 p.m. to honor Chloe Willis, Jefferson Island Elementary student and winner of the 2021 International Milken Discovery contest.
The contest is an international student competition that honors creative research projects that tell the stories of unsung heroes who made a difference. Willis submitted a documentary that shared the achievements of her great-grandfather, the Rev. T.J. Jemison, during the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana, namely the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott that inspired Dr. Martin Luther King to use the same model for the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott two years later.
The museum will be joined by Margaret Simon, Willis' teacher and project mentor; Jennifer Joseph, Iberia Parish Schools assistant superintendent; as well as local officials and community organizers. Willis' documentary will also be shown followed by light refreshments.
About Bayou Teche Museum
The state-of-the-art museum with a permanent collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the region tells the story of a growing city, its people, culture and industry all centered around the "snake-like" curves of the Bayou Teche. The museum is home to George Rodrigue’s studio, which includes the painting he was working on before his 2013 death.
