"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : MONROE ALPHEUS MAJORS

Recently, I heard a story about a school teacher who wanted to emphasize a point about “VOTING” to her students. However, instead of browbeating them, she simply wrote a question on the chalkboard. The question she wrote was,”What’s the difference between people who can’t “Vote” and people who don’t “Vote?” Well, that one story just about sums up the “October 2023 Election” results in Louisiana! Now, back to this week’s Black Pioneer. Monroe Alpheus Majors was born on October 12, 1864, in Waco, Texas. His parents were Andrew Jackson Majors and Jane Barringer Majors. After his family moved to Austin, Texas, he attended several of the Freedmen’s Bureau schools. schools. Also, he attended West Texas College, Tillotson Normal and Collegiate Institute,and Central Tennessee College, before enrolling in Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1886, Monroe graduated from medical school and moved to Calvert, Texas to begin practicing medicine. In 1889, he moved to Los Angeles, California, becoming a lecturer at the Los Angeles Medical College. Additionally, Monroe was the first Negro to ever pass the California Board of Medical Examination. Once he married his wife, Georgia A Green, the couple decided to move back to Waco, Texas in 1890. In Waco, Monroe practiced medicine, edited a local newspaper, the Texas Searchlight, and taught at Paul Quinn College. Although he was already involved in other activities, Monroe Felt a need to contribute to the civil rights cause. Through the newspaper, he spoke out against the lynching that was prevalent throughout Texas. Therefore,he received death threats that forced him to move to Chicago in 1901. A list of his achievements & accomplishments included: being one of the first Negroes to become licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas, he was the first Negro to ever pass the California Board of Medical Examination, he established a medical association for Black physicians who were not allowed entry into the American Medical Association, he wrote a noted book of biographies of Negro women which was published in 1893, he served as editor of a newspaper called the Chicago Conservator from 1908 - 1910, and he opened the first black-owned drugstore in the American Southwest! Finally, after achieving great things in his lifetime, he died in Los Angeles, California, in 1933, at the ripe age of 96.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : CAROLINE STILL ANDERSON

Caroline was born on November 1, 1848, in the “FREE STATE” territory of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, “William Still,” was a wealthy Negro businessman, philanthropist, and abolitionist. He did his best to instill in her consciousness a sense of responsibility and accountability to her race. As a child, Caroline attended Mrs. Gordon's Private School, The Friends' Raspberry Alley School, and the Institute for Colored Youth. In 1864, Caroline attended Oberlin College, earning her degree in 1868. After pausing for marriage and having children, she enrolled at Howard University College of Medicine, in 1875. Caroline then transferred from Howard to the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1876, where she ended up receiving her Doctor of Medicine Degree in 1878. The same year, Caroline began her medical career with an internship at Boston’s New England Hospital for Women and Children. Once Caroline had completed her internship, she returned to Philadelphia where she opened a dispensary in her husband’s church. Additionally, Caroline opened a private medical practice in Philadelphia. Also, the couple founded a vocational and Liberal Arts school called the Berean Manual Training and Industrial School. Caroline was the assistant principal in addition to her teaching roles. She would often also practice medicine at many of the Quaker institutions in Philadelphia! Unfortunately, her career came to an end, after she suffered a paralytic stroke. Although, her stroke kept her from working as a doctor, she remained active in the medical profession by engaging in research and presenting papers at medical conventions. Furthermore, she continued to participate in several social organizations as well. Caroline served as president of the Berean Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, and she helped organize Black YMCAs in Philadelphia. A few of her notable accomplishments included enrolling in college at the age of 15, being the youngest graduate in her college graduating class,at the age of 19, and being one of the first Black women to hold a Doctor of Medicine Degree from an American Medical College in the United States! Sadly, on June 2, 1919, Caroline Still Anderson passed away due to complications from her previous strokes.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : WILLIAM STILL

Well, not too long ago in America, the Law said,”if the mother of a newly born child was a slave, then the child was also a slave!” However, thanks mainly to people called “Abolitionists,” many states dropped that law and officially became “Free States.” Meaning that Slavery was no longer legal in these states. Now, this is where the story of this week’s Black Pioneer, William Still begins. William was born on October 7, 1821, in Shamona, New Jersey. Although New Jersey was a Free State, and his father, Levin Still, who was once a slave,but had bought his freedom from his master, was free ; his mother, Sidney Still, was a runaway slave. In fact, his mother changed her first name to Charity, and his father even changed the spelling of the family’s last name from Steel to Still, to keep his mother’s identity hidden,since she was a fugitive slave. When his mother escaped from the plantation she had 4 children,2 girls and 2 boys. Sadly, she had to leave her 2 boys behind. While living in New Jersey, Charity and Levin had 14 more children. William was the youngest of their 18 children. In 1844, William moved from New Jersey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Three years later, he was hired as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery. In Philadelphia, he met and married Letitia George. Their union resulted in them having four healthy children. Being that William worked for the P.S. F.A.O.S. , it’s no surprise that he also became an Abolitionist. Not only did William become an Abolitionist, he became a “CONDUCTOR” in the Underground Railroad! Also, his home served as an Underground Railroad Way Station. William reportedly helped as many as 800 slaves escape to freedom. He interviewed each person and kept careful records, including a brief biography and the destination for each, along with any alias adopted. Of course, he kept his records carefully hidden. One day while he was at work, a Black man approached him about finding his mother and sisters. After hearing the man’s story, William looked at the man and said,”what if I told you that I am your brother?” Well, sure enough, the man was “Peter,” one of the sons that their mother had to leave behind when she escaped from the plantation. Peter told him that their other brother, Levin Jr. had died from being whipped for visiting his wife without his master’s permission. It was so beautiful to hear about a former slave mother and her former slave son being re-united! On July 14, 1902, William Still died at his home, at 726 South 19th Street in Philadelphia. He was buried in Eden Cemetery, the “OLDEST BLACK-OWNED and OPERATED CEMETERY” in the Northern part of the United States. Additionally, after his death, The New York Times ran William Still’s obituary, proclaiming him as “The Father of the Underground Railroad!”

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DAISY GATSON BATES

It’s difficult imagining a child’s mother being raped and killed, and then her father abandoning the child to be raised by close friends of her mother. Well, that’s exactly what Daisy Gatson Bates had to endure, during her childhood. Daisy Gatson Bates was born on November 11, 1914, in southern Arkansas,near a town called Huttig. Her mother was murdered by 3 White men when Daisy was an infant, and her father abandoned her to be raised by close friends of her mother. Their names were Orlee and Susie Smith. Daisy was told about her mother’s death when she was 8 years old. The fact that her mother’s killers were never arrested and punished didn’t sit right with Daisy. Before he died, Daisy’s adopted father told her these words,”Daisy, don’t hate White people just because they're white. If you hate, make it count for something. Hate the humiliations we are living under in the South. Hate the discrimination that eats away at the South. Hate the discrimination that eats away at the soul of every Negro man and woman. Hate the insults hurled at us by White scum—and then try to do something about it, or your hate won't spell a thing!” Daisy would later tell people that his words took root in her mind and helped guided her toward the man she married and her involvement in Civil Rights matters. In 1931, Daisy started dating her future husband, Lucius C. Bates. They ended up moving to Little Rock Arkansas, where Daisy Bates immediately joined the local branch of the NAACP. The words that her adoptive father told her about trying to do something about the injustices being done to Negroes were starting to have an influence on her actions. In an interview when asked what she and the NAACP organization were focused on changing, Daisy responded "the whole darned system!”Additionally, after their arrival to Little Rock, Daisy and Lucius C. Bates decided to fulfill their dream of owning and publishing their own newspaper. The newspaper was called The Arkansas State Press, a weekly statewide newspaper. The first issue appeared on May 9, 1941. The Arkansas State Press was primarily concerned with civil rights and advocacy journalism. The paper featured stories about civil rights and stories that spotlighted achievements of black Arkansans. Daisy and Lucius C Bates were married on March 4, 1942. The Arkansas State Pressplayed a significant role during the time of the highly publicised enrollment of the “Little Rock Nine” and the Little Rock Integration Crisis. As the leader of the NAACP branch in Arkansas, Daisy Bates guided and advised the nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll in 1957 at Little Rock Central High School, a previously all-white institution. She even came up with the plan to utilize ministers to escort the Little Rock Nine into Central High School. Also, she opened up her home to the Little Rock Nine, and her house served as a haven for The Little Rock Nine. Furthermore, Daisy’s home also was an official drop off and pick up place for the Little Rock Nine before and after school, every day. Sadly, because of her involvement and her newspaper’s coverage of the happenings, many of the White citizens of Little Rock decided to boycott and shut off much of the funding of The Arkansas State Press. The boycott successfully cut off funding, except the money which came directly and through advertisements from the NAACP national office, and through ads from supporters throughout the country. As a result, Daisy and her husband were unable to maintain the financial obligations of continuing to run The Arkansas State Press. Therefore, they decided to shut the paper down! The last issue was published on October 29, 1959. At the ripe age of 84, a week before her 85th birthday, on November 4, 1999, Daisy Gatson Bates went home to be with the Lord. One of her highest honors was being named “Woman of the Year” in 1957 by the National Council of Negro Women.