11. Prison Labor Replaced Slave Labor
With the rise of Louisiana’s prison system, forced labor did not disappear—it merely changed form. The state adopted convict leasing, a practice where prisoners—most of them Black men—were leased out to perform grueling labor under brutal conditions. This system perpetuated the exploitation and racial injustice that slavery had entrenched, providing profits for investors like Acklen while continuing to oppress Black communities. Read more
