Originally a school teacher with the New Orleans public schools, he signed up as a member of AFT Local 527 on his first day of teaching in 1961. In the middle of the decade, seeing how some of his fellow teachers were mistreated, he became more of an activist.
As a novice teacher with the New Orleans public school system, he enrolled in AFT Local 527 on his inaugural day of instruction in 1961. As the decade progressed, observing injustices against his peers, he transformed into a more outspoken champion.