"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : MISS McCREE HARRIS

Today, many Black High School Students in Monroe , Louisiana are shocked to hear about a court case involving a Black person where the person decides to “serve jail time,” rather than “pay the fine!” Well, during the Civil Rights Movement, there were plenty of Negroes who decided to do so. As a matter of fact, there were several times when students and civil rights leaders deliberately went to jail as a means of protest. Somehow, it seems like this new generation has only a vague idea of just what the Civil Rights era was about! Furthermore, I sure wished that teachers could have taught about this in school this year, but the Louisiana Superintendent of Education said no! Maybe he said no because some people feel that the topic is a part of Critical Race Theory, I don’t know. However, I do know that Black parents need to be reminding their Black children about the Civil Right Movement! Now, let’s read about this week’s Black Pioneer! Miss McCree Harris was born in 1934 in Albany, Georgia. Her parents, Reverend Isaiah A. Harris and Katie B. Harris, dedicated their lives working for racial equality & economic empowerment for Negroes. Miss McCree graduated from Columbia University, and was hired as a teacher at a Negro school. At Monroe High School, she taught French,Latin, Social Studies, and Negro History. Miss McCree wasn’t your average type of teacher. After teaching her students at school, once school let out,she would often take her students downtown to test the desegregation rulings at local stores and movie theaters. Also, Miss McCree encouraged all of her students to get involved in the Civil Rights efforts. Her parents and siblings were already actively working on different Civil Rights projects. When Blacks got together to form The Albany Movement, a desegregation and voters' rights coalition formed in Albany, Georgia, in November 1961, Miss McCree and her family participated. Shockingly, most Black People do not know that The Albany Movement was a precursor to the March on Washington in 1963. During the Albany Movement, is was said that over 1,000 Black People were arrested, including Rev Martin Luther King Jr. ! Additionally, Miss McCree and her family did many things behind the scenes to help the Albany Movement. You see, she strongly believed in educating Black youth to build a larger movement for years to come. On July 21, 2000, Miss McCree Harris died at the Palmyra Medical Center in Albany, Georgia.