History in the making

Councilman Jarvis Lewis becomes first African-American elected to parishwide office in 140 years

In front of a room packed with supporters, Jarvis Lewis was sworn in as Councilman at-large Division B on Monday.

Lewis became the first African-American elected to a parishwide office in nearly 140 years.

An African-American candidate had not been elected to a parishwide office in St. Charles since former slave and Union Civil War soldier George Essex served six years as sheriff from 1872 to 1878.

Lewis was sworn in by Judge Marc Johnson, who is the 5th Circuit Court of Appeal’s first African-American judge.