Ruth Anita Foote

As a writer, an award-winning journalist and a public historian, Ruth Anita Foote enjoys sharing people’s stories. She loves putting their thoughts, dreams and souls into words, as well as her own. As a former army brat, she lived the idyllic life that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dreamed about—a day when little black and white children could walk hand in hand, and were not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. That world was the foundation of her early childhood, and helped her to become the person who she is today.

When Ruth’s father prepared for retirement, he moved their family to Lafayette, LA, his hometown. She remembers her older brothers teasing them about their new destination, saying that there were web-toed people in the Bayou State. Of course, that wasn’t true. But what she couldn’t fathom was when they said it never snowed there. That was hard to comprehend after enjoying snowy winters in Washington, Germany, and Georgia where they were living at the time. As it turned out, Ruth did have an opportunity to witness Louisiana snow—albeit short-lived—on more than one occasion. It was just as beautiful as when she was a child.

Louisiana remains Ruth’s home today. She has fallen in love with its rich and spicy culture—its people, music, festivals, cuisine and traditions—just as much as she has fallen in love with writing and reading.