On June 2, 1965, Oneal Moore — the first Black deputy sheriff hired in Washington Parish — was shot and killed by night riders. In response, Bogalusa's Black community organized the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an armed self-defense organization that refused to accept nonviolence as the only option. The confrontations at the Crown-Zellerbach paper mill and in Bogalusa's streets were among the most intense in the South. Clarence Triggs was killed the following year. The civil rights struggle here was never gentle, and this city's resistance informed the national movement.
Quick facts
- ·On June 2, 1965, Oneal Moore — the first Black deputy sheriff in Washington Parish — was shot and killed by night riders.
- ·In response, Bogalusa's Black community organized the Deacons for Defense and Justice.
- ·The Deacons were an armed self-defense organization that rejected nonviolence as the only option.
- ·Confrontations at the Crown-Zellerbach paper mill were among the most intense in the South.
- ·Visitor tip: the civil rights history here was never gentle — come with the context; it informed the national movement.
Memories
Be the first to leave a memory at Bogalusa Civil Rights Sites — Oneal Moore & the Deacons.
Sign in to see memories your family has left at this place.
Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.