[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 101 (Friday, June 14, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E635-E636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF A GREAT NATIVE SON AND THE OUTSTANDING LIFE 
               OF THE LATE D'JUAN MIGUEL HERNANDEZ, ESQ.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 14, 2024

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life of D'Juan Miguel Hernandez, born in Franklin, Louisiana

[[Page E636]]

to parents Dr. Don J. Hernandez and Mrs. Elnora Polidore Hernandez, on 
October 24, 1966. He peacefully departed this world on May 29, 2024, at 
the tender age of 57 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A proud graduate Saint 
Augustine High School and Xavier University of Louisiana where he 
earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and English, two key Catholic 
Institutions located in my Congressional District. D'Juan ultimately 
pursued a career in law attending Thurgood Marshall School of Law and 
continuing at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where he 
received his Juris Doctorate. He became a member of the State Bar of 
Louisiana and went on to establish the Hernandez Law Group and Business 
Advisors.
  D'Juan Miguel Hernandez was a remarkable man, an influential leader, 
father, son, and my dear friend. He will forever be remembered from his 
career practicing law and mentoring small business owners, to the joy 
he spread throughout Algiers, Louisiana, the community I grew up in. In 
1990, D'Juan was my very first campaign manager during my election as 
the first African American to the Louisiana House of Representatives 
from the 102nd District of Algiers. Growing up as a kid in Franklin 
Louisiana, his spiritual journey began at St. Jules Catholic Church, 
and his faith remained steadfast throughout his life, a guiding light 
that illuminated his path even in times of darkness. D'Juan remained a 
man of unwavering faith, boundless entrepreneurial spirit, and deep 
devotion to his family, D'Juan's testament to the values instilled in 
him from his Catholic upbringing.
  D'Juan's educational journey was marked by his passion for music and 
academia. From his early years at Dwight Eisenhower Elementary where, 
as a kindergartner, he was introduced to the violin and the cello, his 
musical appetite broadened. While at Franklin Junior High School under 
Ronald Bernard, he developed an interest in the trombone. It became his 
major instrument at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, where he 
became a proud Purple Knight and member of the St. Augustine Marching 
100 under the late Mr. Edward Harrell Hampton, founding band director, 
serving over five decades. His musical escapade led to a foray into the 
jazz idiom, and he became a member of the St. Augustine Jazz Orchestra 
under the direction of Mr. Carl Blouin, Sr., founder of the jazz 
orchestra in the 1960s. In his senior year at St. Augustine, he earned 
a seat in the Louisiana All State Jazz Band and recorded with the 
group.
  It was D'Juan's entrepreneurial spirit that surfaced as his true 
passion. Well into his career, he enrolled and became an MBA graduate 
of Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business, where he 
embarked on numerous ventures, including LA Waters, a bottled delivery 
company; and the non-profit ``Raphael Village'' of New Orleans. He was 
an ardent supporter of the Algiers Community Development Association 
and the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI).
  D'Juan believed in the power of ideas, and the need for creating 
opportunities, especially as Faculty Lead and Business Advisor for 
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. He was also engaged in several 
business startups in Southwest Louisiana, all a testament to his 
entrepreneurial spirit and commitment. Through all his work, D'Juan 
leaves an enduring legacy of innovation and community empowerment.
  Amidst his professional endeavors, D'Juan's greatest joy was his 
family. He cherished moments spent traveling with loved ones and 
relished as ``Poppi D'' to his granddaughter, Madisyn Gianna Hernandez.
  D'Juan was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Coleman and 
Alice Polidore and paternal grandparents James and Hazel Hernandez, his 
uncles, Jon R. Hernandez and Coleman Polidore, Jr., his aunts, Hazel 
Widow, Emily Alexander, Queenie Polidore, and Alice Marie Broussard.
  He is lovingly remembered by his parents, his uncle Renaldo 
Hernandez, his children Katelyn Hernandez, Jessica Hernandez, and 
Christopher Hernandez, his sisters Jualea Hernandez and Jalicia Parker, 
former wife Tara Carter Hernandez, his nephews Bradford and Silas 
Parker, his special brother David McClean, his business partners, and a 
host of other friends and family.
  As we bid farewell to D'Juan, let us take comfort in knowing that his 
legacy lives on in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to 
know him. D'Juan made an impact on our community that will never be 
forgotten, he will be greatly missed. I am proud to have spent 
immeasurable time, developed strategies and grew up with him, 
treasuring his father as a mentor, and always fascinated by D'Juan's 
accomplishments. I am honored to document the incredible life of D'Juan 
Miguel Hernandez, a life too short, though incredibly well-lived. May 
he rest in eternal peace, surrounded by the love of God and the angels.

                          ____________________