"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DR. JOSEPH CLABERT ROY SR. CO-FOUNDER of THE HISTORIC MILLER-ROY BUILDING

While I was researching online, I came across 2 egregious acts that happened here in Monroe, Louisiana at the meeting hall of a local Colored Organization that was known as, "The Naomi Colored Knights of Pythias." Come to find out, the organization was a Branch of the Colored Knights of Pythias that was founded in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1880, due to Negroes were not being allowed to join the White Chapters of The Knights of Pythias Organization. By the way, the first incident happened in 1909, a few days after a Colored man by the name of W. Stephen Wade came to town and shot the White Monroe Mayor, Andrew A. Forsythe, along with several other White People, in retaliation for a White police officer killing a Colored man by the name of Henry Staples. Later that week, a leading Negro citizen by the name of Madison J. Foster ended up making a statement to the media denouncing Wade's act of violence. As for the story about the fire, someone had set the organization's meeting hall on fire, and two White police officers came along and put the fire out. Next, there was the lynching of a Colored man by the name of Warren Eaton that occured on the morning of October 23, 1913, in front of the meeting hall of "The Naomi Colored Knights of Pythias at 1101Desiard Street, near the Historic Miller-Roy Building." According to the Monroe Bulletin, a local newspaper that shut down in 1913, not too long after breaking the story about the lynching, Eaton was lynched for insulting a local White Girl. Well, there you have it, evidence of two separate despicable incidents that happened in Monroe, and was printed in local newspapers. Of course, I knew that things like this happened in Monroe back then, but it's kind of different when you learn about the actual locations, names of the victims, and other people involved. With that said, I would like to inform everyone about this week's Black Pioneer! Dr. Joseph C. Roy was a graduate of Straight College and Howard University College of Dentistry. Sometime around 1914, he began practicing medicine in Monroe. In 1940, Dr. J.C. Roy was reportedly the oldest practicing Negro dentist in the City of Monroe. Also, he was married to Erma L. Olive Roy, and they had 4 children together. Also, their son, J.C. Roy Jr., died of a heart attack in September of 1957 in Monroe, at his home on Milhaven Road, at the young age of 37. Additionally, I found out that their oldest daughter, Sophie Lee Roy, went on to marry one of Motown's Top Recording Artists and founder of Pacific Records, Ivory Joe Hunter ; there was another daughter by the name of Olive Zerita ; and they had a third daughter by the name of Alex, who died near the age of five. Lastly, some of Dr. J.C.Roy's friends included Dr. John Tildon Miller ; Maryland "The Colored Cattle King" Brooks ; a Negro Building Contractor by the name of William Medlock Sr., who along with his Negro workers, built many of the homes in the area of Flynn, North 21st, and Adams Streets, off of Desiard Street in Monroe ; Rev. T. C. Warden ; and Dr. Raymond O. Pierce, the Grandfather of Dr. Ollibeth Reddix of Monroe.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DR. JOHN TILDON MILLER - CO-FOUNDER OF THE HISTORIC MILLER-ROY BUILDING

Today, while many Black People in Monroe, Louisiana have heard about the Miller-Roy Building that was built across from the Old Monroe City Cemetery in 1929, near the meeting hall of The Local Chapter of "The Colored Knights of Pythias," as a safe meeting place to house Black Businesses, few Black People in Monroe know that one of the founders of the building, John T. Miller, had a wife named Martha Gair Miller, who died on September 19, 1932, following an operation at the clinic in which they owned together that was located in the Miller-Roy Building. For the record, Martha and John had 3 children ; a son name John Gair Miller, and 2 daughters, Harriet F. Miller, and Beatrice M. Miller. Sadly, Beatrice died on December 30, 1934, at the tender age of 7. Without a doubt, the sudden deaths of his wife and adorable young daughter happening so close together took an extreme toll on John, being that he died of heart failure on July 5, 1935. Looking back, who would of imagined that within that short 3 year period of time that death would come calling so frequently on this family? Interestingly, all three of their funerals were held at Martin Temple Christian Methodist Church that was located near North 19th & Adams Street in Monroe, Louisiana, and they were all buried at the Monroe City Cemetery, located on Desiard Street. Well, I couldn't find much information about Dr. John Tildon Miller, however, I did find out that he was born in Lexington, Mississippi, in 1879 to John H. Miller and Mrs Frances Golden Miller. Also, John and Martha Miller were Charter Members of the local NAACP Chapter in Monroe. Additionally, John Tildon Miller was listed in The 1930 Book Publication of "WHO'S WHO in COLORED LOUISIANA," which was published by The Douglas Loan Company of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to admonish all Black residents living in Monroe and Ouachita Parish to do their best to past down to our Black Children as much of the local Black History as they can, so that our Black Children will know more about"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE," than they know about sports and video games!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : FORMER GRAMBLING STATE & SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY - Track & Field Olympians

"The mind is the strongest muscle in your body. If you can overcome the doubt in your mind, you can achieve success." -Jesse Owens When people talk about former track and field runners who possessed Olympic Class Speed, it's not unusual for names such as Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Bob Hayes, Renaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah, Wilma Rudolph, Evelyn Ashford, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Florence Griffith Joyner to come up in the conversation. Well, I recently posted a Black History Trivia Question online about a former Southern University Track & Field Runner who had won a Gold Medal at the 1968 Olympic Games. Former Wossman High School Championship Basketball Coach George "Vamp" Belton mentioned Rodney "Lightning Rod" Milburn Jr., who attended Southern University in 1972. At the 1972 Olympic Games, Rodney ran an unprecedented time of 13.24 seconds in the 110 hurdles,"Establishing A New World Record" as well as winning himself an Olympic Gold Medal! Another name that came up was Willie Davenport, who attended Southern University in 1968, and won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1968 Olympic Games that was held in Mexico City. During the 1968 Olympic Games, Willie ran an impressive time of 13.3 seconds. in the 110 hurdles, "Setting An Olympic Record, " and he won the Gold Medal in the process! Also, in a different conversation about Grambling State University Track & Field Runners who had performed at the Olympic Games, the names Debra Edwards Armstrong and Stone "Cold" Johnson came up. Debra attended Grambling in the early 1970s ; not only did she possess Olympic Class Speed, in 1975 she was U.S. Champion in the 200 meter race! Stone "Cold" Johnson attended Grambling in 1960, and participated in the 1960 Olympic Games held in Rome. During the trials for the 1960 Olympics, Stone ran a time of 20.5 seconds in the 200 meter race, "Setting A New World Record!" Cassandra Shelling stated that her father, Roy Neal Shelling, who also attended Grambling at that time, said that Stone was the fastest man alive! In closing, I would like to say that these are just a few of the many, many forgotten Student-Athletes that have come through Southern University and Grambling State University. Furthermore, it is my hope that some of the people who read this article will tell someone, who will tell someone, who will tell someone, and help spread the word about "OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE!"

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : THE FORMER BLACK--OWNED INSURANCE COMPANIES IN MONROE

"If the misery of our poor be caused not by the Laws of Nature, but by our Government Institutions, then great is our sin!" -unknown When discussing the former Black-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe, Louisiana, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the "HISTORIC MILLER-ROY BUILDING" that was built here in Monroe at 1001 Desiard Street in 1929, "as a business hub for Black-Owned Businesses." You see, several of the Black-Owned Insurance Companies had their offices within the Miller-Roy Building. As a matter of fact, many of the Black-Owned Businesses in Monroe at that time, began in that Building. Additionally, before the Stock Market Crash in 1929, several Black-Owned Insurance Companies were becoming as large as some of the White-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe. Furthermore, it was reported and recorded that some of the Black-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe contributed part of the first $1,000 dollars to start the "Louisiana Chapter of The National Urban League when it was first organized, back in 1938." I wished that I could have found physical records of some of the former Black-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe, but so far I haven't been able to find any of them. Never-the-less, I was able to come up with a list of a few of them Below is the list of the ones that I was able to verify : 1. Acme Insurance Company that was owned by William & Orel Medlock, one of the companies that was merged with Miller Funeral Home w ; 2.People's Industrial Life Insurance Company that was owned by Abraham Bowie ; 3. Unity Industrial Life Insurance Company ; 4.Standard Industrial Life Insurance Company ; 5.Good Citizens Life Insurance Company ; 6.Keystone Life Insurance Company ; 7.Supreme Life Insurance Company ; 8.Universal Life Insurance Company ; 9.Britton's Insurance Company that was located near Desiard & Renwick Streets, which was owned by Don Britton ; and 10. Miller Funeral Home 's, Reliable Insurance Company, which is still operating in Monroe today! Before I end this week's edition of Our Rich Black Heritage, I would like to mention that when Joseph Miller Jr., of Miller Funeral Home was living, he stated that several of the former Black-Owned Funeral Home Establishments in Monroe were bought out by his father Joseph H. Miller Sr., and were merged with Miller Funeral Home.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" THE FORMER BLACK--OWNED INSURANCE COMPANIES IN MONROE, LOUISIANA

"If the misery of our poor be caused not by the Laws of Nature, but by our Government Institutions, then great is our sin!" -unknown When discussing the former Black-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe, Louisiana, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the "HISTORIC MILLER-ROY BUILDING" that was built here in Monroe at 1001 Desiard Street in 1929, "as a business hub for Black-Owned Businesses." You see, several of the Black-Owned Insurance Companies had their offices within the Miller-Roy Building. As a matter of fact, many of the Black-Owned Businesses in Monroe at that time, began in that Building. Additionally, before the Stock Market Crash in 1929, several Black-Owned Insurance Companies were becoming as large as some of the White-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe. Furthermore, it was reported and recorded that some of the Black-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe contributed part of the first $1,000 dollars to start the "Louisiana Chapter of The National Urban League when it was first organized, back in 1938." I wished that I could have found physical records of some of the former Black-Owned Insurance Companies in Monroe, but so far I haven't been able to find any of them. Never-the-less, I was able to come up with a list of a few of them Below is the list of the ones that I was able to verify : 1. Acme Insurance Company that was owned by William & Orel Medlock, one of the companies that was merged with Miller Funeral Home w ; 2.People's Industrial Life Insurance Company that was owned by Abraham Bowie ; 3. Unity Industrial Life Insurance Company ; 4.Standard Industrial Life Insurance Company ; 5.Good Citizens Life Insurance Company ; 6.Keystone Life Insurance Company ; 7.Supreme Life Insurance Company ; 8.Universal Life Insurance Company ; 9.Britton's Insurance Company that was located near Desiard & Renwick Streets, which was owned by Don Britton ; and 10. Miller Funeral Home 's, Reliable Insurance Company, which is still operating in Monroe today! Before I end this week's edition of Our Rich Black Heritage, I would like to mention that when Joseph Miller Jr., of Miller Funeral Home was living, he stated that several of the former Black-Owned Funeral Home Establishments in Monroe were bought out by his father Joseph H. Miller Sr., and were merged with Miller Funeral Home.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : THE FORMER BLACK-OWNED BARBEQUE ESTABLISHMENTS in MONROE, featuring HUEY "Lil Bob" NASH, "THE BLACK MAN FROM LOUISIANA WHO BROKE THE COLOR BARRIER AT THE TEXAS STATE FAIR IN 1964"

Oh boy, do I have a humdinger of a story to share with everyone this week! While many Black People in Monroe and the state of Louisiana know about Huey P. Newton being from Monroe, Louisiana, very few Black People in Louisiana have heard about "Huey Nash Sr." and his historical accomplishment at the 1964 Texas State Fair. For those who don't already know, Huey "Lil' Bob" Nash was born on March 21, 1935 in Mangham, Louisiana. Also, I would like to add that many descendants of the Nash Family have lived, and are currently living here in Monroe today. Well, our story takes us all the way back to the year 1964, the year when the name Huey Nash was "etched indelibly in history!" You see, it was in1964, at the Texas State Fair that Huey Nash broke the "Texas State Fair Color Barrier to become the First Black Food Vendor to be allowed to set up a food booth on the fairgrounds of the Texas State Fair!" By the way, before 1964, a period of more than 78 years, no other Black person had been granted permission to have a food concession stand at the Texas State Fair. Although it took Huey more than 2 attempts and five years are more of wading through red tape, he never gave out and he never gave up! Also, it was reported that Huey worked 2 or 3 jobs, in order to raise the money for the licenses and other fees. Furthermore, what's even more amazing is that he was able to achieve such a great feat and still feed & provide for his wife and their 4 children. Interesting enough, before he died on Tuesday September 20, 2011, from congestive heart failure, which was probably the results of poor ventilation in his barbecue smokehouse, a "Lil' Bob's Barbecue Restaurant" opened right here in Monroe at 1612 Garrett Road. In closing, here's a list of a few of the Former Black-Owned Barbeque Establishments that are a part of "Our Rich Black Heritage!" : 1. Lil' Bob's Barbecue Restaurant that was located at 1612 Garrett Road ; 2.H.H.Marbles Barbeque that was located at 1000 Breard Street ; 3.Hill's Barbeque that was located at 813 Texas Ave ; 4.Mr. T's Barbeque that was located at 3021 Renwick Street ; 5.Quick-Stop Barbeque that was located at 2400 Desiard Street ; 6.Murray's Barbeque that was located at 2710 Renwick Street ; 7. Willie's Barbecue & Catering that was located at 411 Desiard Street ; 8.Prezell's Smokehouse that was located at 1704 Powell Ave ; 9.Bo Jingles Drive Inn that was located at 2940 Renwick Street ; and 10.Bodacious Barbeque that was located on Louisville Avenue, just to name a few.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : THE FORMER BLACK-OWNED BARBERSHOPS in MONROE

Before I give my list of some of the former Black-Owned Barbershops that use to be in Monroe,Louisiana, I will share a short story about one of the neighborhood Barbers, who cut my hair when I was around 8 years old. By the way, I grew up on the Southside of Monroe, in the "Legendary Bryant's Edition Subdivision!" My family lived on Bethune Street, right by the Zoo, only a few blocks away from where Sammy White, his parents, and his siblings lived. Well, getting back to the man who cut my hair a few times when I was a kid. I never knew his full name, or his first name, but "Mr. W T" is what everyone in my neighborhood called him. I still remember the first time my mother told me to go and have Mr. W T cut my hair. Since Mr. W T stayed on Beverly Street, within walking distance from my house, I was able to walk to his house by myself. My biggest concern about having Mr. W T cut my hair is that the kids at school had already told me about how Mr. W T would accidentally "cut a plug" in your hair. You see, during the week Mr. W T worked a full-time job, therefore, he would cut hair on Saturday mornings. Also, Mr. W T "loved watching wrestling," while he was cutting someone's hair, and would sometimes get distracted, which caused him to cut a plug in your head! Most times, the boy wouldn't even discover what had be done to him, until after he had left Mr. W T's house. After the boy showed up at school, everyone would say that he had a "W T SPECIAL!" Fortunately for me, I never received his special haircut. Now, here's my list of former Black-Owned Barbershops! 1. The Ritz Barbershop that was located at 918 Desiard Street ; 2.Ford's Clip & Style that was located at 1908 Tichelli Road, which was owned by Mrs. Rozena Ford ; 3. Robinson & Perry Barbershop that was located at 1101 Desiard Street, with William Robinson listed as being Co-Owner ; 4.Robert & Dorothy's Barbershop that was located at 709 Desiard Street, which was owned by Robert and Dorothy Henry ; 5.Stamper's Barbershop that was located at 713 Desiard Street, which was owned by Bennerson Stamper ; 6.Napoleon's Barbershop that was located on Renwick Street ; 7.Nelson 's Barbershop & Beauty Salon that was located at 3009 Burg Jones Lane ; 8.Edward's Barbershop & Beauty Salon that was located at 3310 Renwick Street ; 9.His & Hers Unisex Hair Styling Shop that was located at 1425 Winnsboro Road, and 10.Handy's Barbershop that's still in business, and is located at 3404 Renwick, which was owned by Jesse Handy, just to name a few!