BATON ROUGE —- Istrouma High School had its annual homecoming parade on Sept. 26 with a memorial walk to honor two slain Baton Rouge teens.
The parade is hosted by the Istrouma High Alumni Association and concludes with a pow-wow cookout on the school’s campus. This year, some students at Istrouma decided to honor both teens, 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather and 17-year-old Da’Vonte Coleman with a honor walk in the parade. Both teens attended Istrouma at the time of their passing.
The parade route began at the Howell Park Recreation Center and went down Winbourne Avenue until turning onto N. 38th Street and stopping at Dalton Elementary School. The parade began at 11 a.m. and lasted roughly an hour. The parade included floats and SUVs that tossed out candy, rubber footballs, and beads.
The Istrouma High Alumni Association President Angel Williams-Duheart discussed the importance of honoring the two young men in the parade. “Our motto at Istrouma is the reservation that binds us, and once an Indian, always an Indian. It is important to include them (Ja’Derrius and Da’Vonte) in this walk and this homecoming parade because had they still been Earth-side with us, they definitely would have been a part. So we just wanted to step up and find a way to honor them.”
Ja’Derrius Minnieweather’s grandmother and his family helped up signs and celebrated his life, “Justice for Ja’Derrius! We all came out to support. Justice for Ja’Derrius and Da’Vonte today.”
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