Louisiana
State Senator Diana Bajoie (D-New Orleans) is definitely one for the history
books. In 1976, when she began her public service in the Louisiana House
of Representatives, she was the only woman serving in that body. In 1991,
she was the first African-American woman ever elected to the Louisiana
Senate. In 2004, when she took the oath as Senate President Pro Tempore,
she was the first woman ever elected to the leadership post in the Louisiana
Senate.
Bajoie is not just a public servant in
title — she is a public servant in spirit, heart and deeds. Her
colleagues describe her as one who fights for communities, families and
Louisiana with tireless compassion.
The senator nurtured her early interest
in community service by attending Southern University and A & M College
in Baton Rouge, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Diana E. Bajoie
As a state legislator, Bajoie has led the way to create school-based
health clinics, form the Minority Health Care Commission and increase health
care coverage for citizens with mental health disorders.
Bajoie has also insisted that the legislature and state properly
recognize the contributions of African Americans to New Orleans, Louisiana and
the nation. Her efforts resulted in the creation of the Louisiana State Museum
on Civil Rights and the expansion and renaming of the New Orleans Convention
Center in honor of the city’s first African-American mayor, Ernest N.
Morial.
"Be civic-minded
and keep the community’s
needs at the center of everything you do."
Currently, she is helping to develop plans
to rebuild and renew Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita — two
of the worst natural disasters to ever befall the United States.
The senator is a founder and former chair of
the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and the Louisiana Legislative Women’s
Caucus. She also serves as president of the National Organization of Black
Elected Legislative Women, a national legislative women’s organization
which encourages and supports women in public and community service.
Bajoie, who is pursuing a master’s degree
in health administration and works as a political and marketing consultant,
has words of wisdom for today’s youth. "Be civic-minded and keep
the community’s needs at the center of everything you do."
