"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : THEODORA FONTENEAU RUTHERFORD

: Well, we won The High School Championships, but We Lost The Election" - Garry O Blanson The quote above is in reference to the two high school basketball State Championships recently won by Wossman High School girls & boys basketball teams, and the recent Mayor election in Monroe, Louisiana. For some reason, it seems these days like most "Black People" in Monroe are more concerned about basketball games that don't really count in the big scheme of things, than they care about local elections that do count!!! Additionally, I feel that when it comes to politics & finances, way too many Black citizens in Monroe are "Politically & Financially" illiterate.You see, when you take in account that the "Poverty Rate for Monroe is doubled that of the National Average," and that the Republican Party now controls "OVER 70%" of the members & vote of the Louisiana State House of Representatives & the Louisiana State Senate, you can't help but feel that much of the Black population in Monroe are financially & politically illiterates! Ok, now that we have identified part of the problem, what can we do to correct it? Alright, let's start with awareness, let's change the narrative of our daily conversations, let's start discussing finances and politics on a daily basis, let's incorporate reading & studying about politics and finances into our daily routines. In short, let's become more politically & financially literate, and let's teach our Black children to become more politically & financially illiterate too! Now, on to this week's Black Pioneer. Theodora Fonteneau Rutherford was born on January 28, 1904 in Jeanerette, Louisiana. Her mother was a school teacher, and her father owned a restaurant in Jeanerette.There's not much at all to mention about her childhood, except that she was raised in Houston,Texas. Sometime between 1918 & 1920, Theodora enrolled at Howard University. In 1923, she graduated summa cum laude, at the top of her class in the School of Commerce and Finance. In 1924, Theodora became the first Colored student to earn a master's degree in accounting from Columbia University in New York. However, she couldn't officially become a Certified Public Accountant, due to the New York State "Accountant Experience Requirement," and partially because of her race & gender. Disheartened to find out that she couldn't officially become an accountant, Theodora enrolled in graduate school, and even worked a job addressing envelopes to help pay her way. In 1925, she moved to West Virginia to accept a teaching position at West Virginia Collegiate Institute. Theodora worked at the school up until she married her husband, Charles R. Rutherford, who also worked at West Virginia. Once the marriage was official, she was forced to vacate her position, due to the school's nepotism policy. After her husband died in 1957, Theodora resumed teaching at West Virginia. Next, in 1959 the Accountant Experience Law was no longer required, and Theodora was able to complete her dream of becoming the first Colored CPA in West Virginia! Additionally, she also became the first Colored female member of the West Virginia Society of Public Accountants. Furthermore, Theodora was honored by Howard University for her lifetime of achievement in a special ceremony held at the University in 1983. Sadly,on August 15, 1993, after rendering nearly 50 years of dedicated service, Theodora Fonteneau Rutherford went home to be with our Lord.