History was made as New Orleans first African American Coroner was sworn in Friday night.
Dr. Dwight L. McKenna, is a practicing physician, former president of the Orleans School Board, civic leader, businessman, newspaper publisher co-founder of the McKenna Museums, and an enthusiastic supporter of his alma maters, St. Augustine High School and Meharry Medical College.
An activist always, Dr. McKenna can be described as a prescient voice, the canary in the coal mine. In the 1980’s he loudly and vocally began warning this community of the dire circumstances destroying our young black males and thus devastating the entire Black community. It was at his insistence that the study examining the plight of Black males by the Orleans Parish School Board was undertaken. And today, the Black male and his plight are at the top of agendas tagged as priority in the Black community throughout the United States.
It is because of his dedications to empowering his people through education, his fierce determination that African Americans have access to economic and business opportunities, and his stand up spirit on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves that he continues to make changes in the city that he loves. In these uncertain times marked by mistrust, cynicism and tenuous relationships between disenfranchised people and the police and other governmental entities, we need leaders that understand and appreciate the particular needs and challenges facing our communities.
We applaud Dr. Dwight McKenna who has always been a champion of the African American community. From banking to health care to housing and education, to championing cultural preservation, he substantially and generously embraced, by word and deeds, the causes and issues that he believes in. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. McKenna has taken a strong interest in literacy and cultural preservation. Forty five years ago, he and his wife Beverly began collecting original artwork by and featuring African Americans. They later opened two museums to share their collection with locals, visitors, and young people. His legacy will leave an indelible footprint as a man that genuinely cared about the greater good and advancement of African American people.
New Orleans is a better place now that we have elevated Dr. McKenna to the office of Coroner.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu