"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.