LAPLACE – The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has named LaPlace resdient and State Rep. Randal L. Gaines as vice chairman of its national board of directors.

SCLC was founded in New Orleans in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King and other local and national civil rights leaders. The organization helped to plan and organize the monumental 1963 March on Washington.

Gaines formerly served as the national treasurer for SCLC from 2010-2013. He was recently appointed as vice chairman by the board chairman, Dr. Bernard Lafayette. During the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, celebrated in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 24, 2013, Gaines organized and hosted a legislative panel discussion at the Washington, D.C., Grand Hyatt. The panel was comprised of several Louisiana state legislators who discussed various issues pertinent to citizens of Louisiana.

SCLC conducted its national convention during the March on Washington’s anniversary celebrations. Gaines was awarded the National Chairman’s Award at the organization’s awards gala for his leadership and diligent efforts in preserving SCLC’s great heritage and mission. During the ceremony, Lafayette credited Gaines as being a primary reason why the organization continued to flourish.