The Voice of Southwest Louisiana May 2018 Issue

editor’s
By Brenda Hill
I See Color...
my special moments
with Carl Hubert.
Carl Alfred Hubert
1941- 2018
My husband, Gene Hill, Sr.,
introduced me to Carl Hubert
back in the late 1990’s when
he worked for Tommy’s Promotional
Products. He was the layout/design
person that helped us with our newly
started businesses. We continued
those business relationships with Carl
throughout the years as he worked for
other printing companies, and as he
worked from his home. I found him to be
very warm and friendly.
When Bro. Hill and I ventured to start
a magazine in 2012, we consulted
with Carl. He listened to our concerns
for the community and we listened to
his concerns as he shared his knowledge
and experiences with laying out and
designing a magazine.
We introduced each other to trusted
individuals that we each knew, varying
in age, gender, race, professions
and backgrounds. This created a
multicultural group of individuals that
would listen to local concerns from
our local citizens and address them
using local writers. It was referred to as
hyperlocal journalism. Carl felt victorious!
Meetings and more meetings were
conducted in multiple environments.
Interested individuals made
commitments to invest and produce
a monthly multicultural magazine
of positive journalism that educates,
informs, empowers, provides advertising/
marketing services and be distributed
throughout the 5-Parish area for citizens
to freely pick up.
Soon after, business partnerships were
formed in 2013 and Carl Hubert became
a Shareholder in The Voice of Southwest
Louisiana. He remained a Shareholder
until 2017.
Carl was so proud and very excited to
be directly involved in print media as
a Shareholder in a magazine…in The
Voice of Southwest Louisiana. He felt
this was his dream come true as a full
circle achievement since he once was
involved in Gumbeaux Magazine. He felt
he had developed many black and white
cohesive relationships that would bridge
the gap in a racial divide that he said he
experienced in our communities.
Carl had no idea how his ‘business
partnership’ with a black owned
business would challenge his faith,
friendships, culture, race and community.
Carl came to my office late fall, last year,
very exhausted and frustrated about all
of the racial divide in the news, in this
community and in this land. He said to
me with tears in his eyes, “I am so sorry
for all of the injustices that blacks suffer
in this country and for their unheard cry.
It is not fair! What is it about skin color
that makes such a big difference because
I don't see color! I am so surprised
about the lack of advertising support
for The Voice! I am especially surprised
about the lack of support from some
of my longtime business networks in
this community!” He then asked me,
“What are ‘yall’ going to do about all
of this racial discrimination that ‘yall’
experience every day?” What is The Voice
going to do for ‘Black History Month’ to
bring attention to these concerns?”
I gazed at Carl and listened to him
intently, moved by compassion for him, I
said, “Carl, I appreciate your sentimental
perception for the plight of the black
male, the black female, the black
family, the black business and the black
community. When I look into your face,
I see God's creative colors of porcelain
and soft red skintones. I see color. I give
God glory and thanks for His magnificent
choices of colors in every created
existence of life. As for my 59 years of
living on earth, I have experienced black
history every day! I am going to continue
to live principles of love, joy, peace,
gratitude and acceptance for all mankind.
These principles were instilled in me
when I was labeled ‘Colored.’ Now that
the ball is in your yard, what are you
going to do with it?”
Carl and I had many heartfelt
conversations about racial segregation,
integration, division and acceptance. His
experiences and enlightenments about
why the color of skin was so important
on earth was very baffling to him. He
remained baffled, even as recent as
two weeks ago when my husband and
I visited him in his home during his
comfort care.
Volume 5 • Number 10 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM May 2018 3