"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : LAWRENCE C JONES

. In Late November of 2023, at a Baton Rouge press conference, Republican Jay Dardenne, who was then the Commissioner of Administration in Governor John Bel Edwards administration, stated that he was "PRETTY SURE" that Governor Elect Jeff Landry wouldn't have to "MAKE ANY DRASTIC CUTS" in the Louisiana state budget when he takes office. The complete article can be read at this website site : https://www.thewestsidejournal.com/news/jbe-administration-leaves-state-in-much-better-shape-dardenne-says/article_0f4e81ba-8e6a-11ee-9b1f-a318d4daf31b.html . Mr. Jay Dardenne also touted the replenishment of the state’s “Rainy Day” fund, which has reached the "ONE-BILLION DOLLAR" threshold under Governor Edwards. Well,"FAST FORWARD" to April of 2024, and Governor Elect Jeff Landry is "cutting funding" for Education, teachers pay, and just about anything else that he can think of!!! Also, to go along with his extreme budget cuts, Governor Landry has issued a couple of Executive Orders to bully Congress into going along with his outlandish plans! However, in regards to his latest Executive Order, he offered few specifics as to what his plans entails. Furthermore, many Louisiana residents would like to know how come Governor Landry is constantly stating that Louisiana is going to be at a "$64 MILLION DOLLAR" deficit, when Republican Jay Dardenne, a person who has actually worked in the administration of former Governor John Bel Edwards has "spoken publicly" that there is NO CURRENT NEED for Governor Landry to be making ALL these INSIDIOUS budget cuts! Well, let get to this week's Black Pioneer. Laurence C. Jones was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on November 21,1882. While there is no record of where "or if" Lawrence attended grade school, in 1908, he was listed as a graduate of the University of Iowa. After graduating from UOA, he accepted a teaching position at Utica Institute, a small school for Colored children that was located in Utica, Mississippi. Not too long after he had been teaching at Utica, Lawrence was approached by a group of church people to found a school in Rankin County, Mississippi, a school which would become known as "Piney Woods!" He started Piney Woods with just $2 dollars and 3 Colored students. Also, a local freed slave named Ed Taylor, donated 40 acres of land and an abandoned sheep shed to help get the school going. The school functioned similar to how Booker T. Washington ran Tuskegee Institute. Additionally, in 1929, the Mississippi Blind School was started on the campus of Piney Woods School to educate blind Negro children in Rankin County. In edition to being the school's founder, first principal, and long-time president, Lawrence and his wife , Grace A. Jones served as the school 's chief fundraisers. On July 13, 1975, after completing his mission here on earth, Laurence C.Jones was laid to rest in Jackson, Mississippi. Isn't it wonderful that after all these years the Piney Woods School, which is known today as "Piney Woods Country Life School" is still in existence Today! NOTE : The Piney Woods Country Life School is a co-educational, independent historically African-American boarding school for grades 9 – 12. It is one of four remaining historically African-American boarding schools in the United States and is the largest (and second oldest) African-American boarding in the United States Today.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : VIRGINIA ESTELLE RANDOLPH

While doing a recent research online concerning the ACT TEST, I found 2 surprising things! First, I found out that fewer and fewer high school students are taking the Act Test, and Secondly, more and more 4 year American Colleges & Universities are "NO LONGER" requiring students to take the Act Test as a requirement for admissions. Well, when you think about it, the decline in students taking the Act Test makes perfect sense. Why should a student take an exam to get into a University when the University "NO LONGER" requires them to? Also, here's another thing to think about. For years and years, the ACT Organization has been operating their business as a Non-profit, and has had a "MONOPOLY" on the ACT Test. Therefore, they have been able to accumulated millions & millions of dollars,so much in fact that the ACT Organization will "NO LONGER" be operating as a Non-profit organization. You see, recently the ACT Organization officially announced that the company will soon be merging with a large California investment company, and will officially change its status from "Non-profit to For-profit." Well, ain't that a hoot !!! Anyways, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer. Virginia Estelle Randolph was born on May 1860, in Henrico County, Virginia. She is noted as being the "First Official Colored Jeanes Supervising Industrial School Teacher in Virginia," who was hired through the Jeanes Foundation to provide industrial training to Colored children in the South. Virginia began her formal schooling at Baker School in Virginia, and then attended Richmond Colored Normal School, which was founded by the Freedmen's Bureau in 1867. It was at Richmond Colored Normal School that she received training to become a school teacher. In 1886, "at the tender age of 16," Virginia was able to officially become a school teacher! Around 1887, Virginia accepted a teaching position at a school in Goochland, County, a county in Virginia. A few years later, she taught in Hanover County, before securing a teaching position in Henrico County, in 1894. The school she taught at in Henrico County was a one-room schoolhouse, named the Mountain Road School. Virginia had to travel throughout the county recruiting students for her little school. She taught there up until 1906 when she was officially named the "First Official Colored Jeanes Supervising Industrial School Teacher in Virginia!" In 1949, after putting in over 60 years of dedicated service,"57 years in Henrico County alone," Virginia went ahead and retired! On March 16,1958, Virginia Estelle Randolph passed away on March 16, 1958 in Richmond , Virginia. In 1954, The Virginia Randolph Foundation was established to horon her and award scholarships to Henrico County high school students who will be attending a four-year college or university.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : CHESTER ARTHUR FRANKLIN

By the time this article goes to press, a federal three-judge panel may have already ruled on whether Louisiana's new congressional map that created a second Black district will stand or not! Well, for the past 2 or 3 years, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU ,and others have been fighting to secure a second Black majority district. What's surprising to me about the case is that the plaintiffs in the case are claiming that the map's boundaries were "gerrymandered" solely based on race to create a second Black district. You see, all through school whenever I heard the term "gerrymandering," it was mostly used to describe White politicians manipulating voting districts, in order to favor one party or class against Black People and minorities. However, this is "one of the few cases" where I can recall that White plaintiffs in the case are the ones claiming that gerrymandering was used against them based on race! Oh well, on to this week's Black Pioneer. Chester A. Franklin was born on June 7,1880 in Denison, Texas.His parents were George and Clara Franklin.In 1887, Chester 's family moved to Omaha, Nebraska. His father was very business minded, and he owned a barbershop as well as a local newspaper called the Omaha Enterprise. Watching his father run his newspaper planted seeds in the mind of young Chester! After graduating high school, Chester attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for two years.However, due to the failing health of his Dad, he had to return home to help run the family newspaper with his mother, Clara. In 1898, as George Franklin 's health continued to deteriorate,so for the sake of his health, the Franklin family decided to move to Denver, Colorado. Soon after their arrival in Denver, the Franklins purchased a local newspaper and changed the name of the newspaper from the Colorado Statesman to The Star.Three years later, his father passed away,leaving Chester and his mother to run the family newspaper. The mother & son duo ran The Star newspaper up until 1913 when Chester 's ambitions and drive triggered his move to Kansas City, Missouri. Chester went on to become a leading Negro newspaper figure, Civil Rights Activist, and an outstanding civic leader for Black People in America! Chester A. Franklin died on May 7, 1955, while attempting his recovery from a heart attack less than 10 days before his demise.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DOROTHY ALICE WILLIS NEWMAN

A popular topic these days just happens to also be an item that the Louisiana House of Representatives is grappling over. The item has to do with whether or not to let students attend private schools using public funds. Currently, there are at least 6 states that have made it lawful for students to receive public money to attend private schools. It's dumbfounding to believe that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Republican politicians have the audacity to even bring up this item for discussion! Especially since there are so many people who are in strong opposition to using public funds to pay for private schooling. To add to that, many universal ESA programs don’t require students to undergo standardized testing as they would in public schools. Plus, if passed, the public schools could possibly experience a drop in state funding! If you ask me, this is just another attempt at restoring segregation in Louisiana! Well, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer. Dorothy Alice Willis Newman was born on October 9,1927 in West Monroe, Louisiana. C Her parents were Roy Oliver Willis and Naomi Boley Willis of West Monroe. Also, she had a first cousin by the name of Morris "Henry" Carroll, who became the principal of Carroll High School in Monroe, Louisiana. As a child, Dorothy attended Trenton School in Trenton, which is now West Monroe, Louisiana. From there, she enrolled and graduated from Monroe Colored High School in Monroe, Louisiana. Next, Dorothy decided to further her education at Southern University. In 1946, she earned her bachelor's degree in English from Southern. Upon, graduating from Southern, Dorothy accepted a teaching position at Tillotson College in Austin, Texas. Sometime between 1948 and 1950, she moved to Grambling, Louisiana to teach at Grambling College.While working at Grambling, she began dating Rogers J. Newman. They were married on July 2, 1951, and their marriage lasted for the rest of her life! In 1953, the couple moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Dorothy ended up taking a teaching position in the English Department at Southern. At the time, little did she know that she would spend almost half a century teaching at Southern University! Finally, in 1998, after serving "45 YEARS" at Southern, and over 50 years as an Educator, Dorothy was able to officially retire. On Wednesday, January 21, 2004, Dorothy Alice Willis Newman transitioned from earth to glory, at her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her contributions to society,Tillotson College, Campbell College, Southern University, Grambling University, and the entire state of Louisiana are a part of the Legacy she left behind for us to remember her by.