white, came to work in the parish and organize local people for voter registration classes, peaceful marches, and drives to register. In a short time, 300 CORE activists and local people were arrested for peaceful protest, but CORE leaders negotiated with the local sheriff and mayor to permit some actions. After training and concerted action, a number of local African Americans did succeed in registering to vote, although many were still prevented, on largely specious grounds for failing to answer questions about the state constitution. The movement also worked to get Seymourville and Dupont Annex included within the city boundaries; the city was trying to exclude these majority-black communities from being incorporated in order to prevent black votes from being counted for election of the city commission. Voting rights work took place in other nearby parishes as well; in October an African-American man was the first of his race to register to vote in West Feliciana Parish since the early years following disenfranchisement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended legal segregation, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorized federal oversight and enforcement of voter registration and elections in jurisdictions with historic under-representation of elements of the population. Expanded voter registration drives took place and, after 1965, African Americans in Louisiana began to participate again in the political system and exercise their constitutional rights. Excommunication In 1962, the Archdiocese of New Orleans announced its plan to desegregate the New Orleans parochial school system for the 1962–1963 school year. Perez led a movement to pressure businesses into firing any whites who allowed their children to attend the newly desegregated Catholic schools. Catholics in St. Bernard Parish boycotted one school, which the archdiocese kept open without students for four months; it burned down in what was suspected as arson. In response, Archbishop Joseph Rummel excommunicated Perez and two other opponents of integration on April 16, 1962. Perez described himself at one point as "a Catholic, but not an Archbishop's Catholic." He eventually reconciled with the Catholic Church and was readmitted before his death after issuing a retraction, and through political leverage exercised by Democratic senator James Eastland. Perez received a requiem Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Christ Church at Loyola University in New Orleans. Personal life In 1917, Perez married Agnes Octave Chalin. They had four children; two sons and two daughters. Legacy and honors "What Color Are You", a