"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : JOHN J. NEIMORE

"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why" -Mark Twain On July 4, 1917, "THE VOICE" newspaper, the first newspaper that represented the "New Negro Movement" in America, and was edited by Hubert H. Harrison— was officially launched at a rally at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Harlem, located in upper Manhattan, New York. The event was actually a "Negro Rally" that was called by Harrison’s Liberty League, in response to attacks on Negroes by White Supremacists, in the "East St. Louis Massacre" that occurred in 1917. The Liberty League was the first organization of the New Negro Movement, which Marcus Garvey and many other Negro activists were members. You see, in the early 1900s, there were "Over 275" Negro Newspapers being published & circulated throughout thousands of cities within the United States, serving as a voice for the American Negro. Sadly, today in America, millions of Black adults & Black youth know little to nothing about those Old Negro Newspapers! Here is a partial list of the leading Negro Newspapers from the early 1900s : The Colored American( 1893 - 1904 ); The Negro World, published by Marcus Garvey(early 1900s) ; The Monroe Broadcast, Monroe, Louisiana ( 1932 ) ; The Pittsburgh Courier( 1911 - 2002 ) ; The Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003); The Chicago Defender (1910-1979 ) ; and The Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001). Today, in Monroe, Louisiana, the two local BLACK newspapers are "The Monroe Free Press" and "The Monroe Dispatch." For many people, without these two Black Owned Newspapers, they wouldn't know as much about what goes on within Our Black Communities in Monroe. Without a doubt, is my sincerest hope that this article will stimulate more Black People to learn more about the Old Negro Newspapers that helped paved the way for the Black Newspapers of today! Ok, let's get on to this week's Black Pioneer. John J. Neimore was born on February 23, 1862, in Washington County, Texas. Even at the tender age of 17, John knew that he was born to be a Newspaper Man.Therefore, in 1879, he decided to move from Texas to California to start a newspaper. Although John was a tenderfoot and wet behind the ears, he was determined to achieve his goal of becoming a Newspaper Man. He named his first Newspaper,"The Owl," and he used the newspaper to help newly arrived Colored People adapt to living in Los Angeles, California. Even though his first Newspaper only ran for brief while, the knowledge, experience, and the contacts he obtained from owning & running a newspaper were priceless! For the rest of his life John worked as a Newspaper Man. Shortly after he shutdown operations of The Owl Newspaper, he founded another Newspaper called "The Weekly Observer." Later, he started a Newspaper called "The Advocate," and after that a Newspaper called "The Eagle," which was later changed to "The California Eagle." In addition to running the newspapers, he also served as President of a publishing and investment company. Around 1910, John J. Neimore's health began to fail him, and he finally succumbed to death on March 9, 1912. In closing, it has been said that one of the greatest achievements that one can do in life is create or start something that outlives their own life. John J. Neimore's newspaper that he started,"The California Eagle," ran all the way up until January 7, 1964," OVER HALF-A-CENTURY after his death!"

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : CLEVE MORMON

Someone asked a question,"Why is Black Studentloan Debt So High?" When we look at the Studentloan Default numbers for Black students, it's enough to make you want to cry! Well, one online article said that it could be due to the fact that Black People are more likely than other races to enroll in "FOR-PROFIT" colleges & universities, where tuition prices are higher than at public ones. While a different online article stated that it could be because most Black families have fewer financial resources on hand to pay for college expenses.Never-the-less, it's still quite a disturbing amount to say the least.By the way, out of curiosity, I went and looked up the total student loan debt in the United States. It stated that as of March 2024, the total student loan debt in the United States was around "$1.75 TRILLION DOLLARS!" Additionally, it said that anywhere from 37% - 41% of Black American College Students are currently carrying studentloan debt. Furthermore, an online article stated that due to fees and higher interest rates put on Black students, nearly 50% of Black college graduates owe substantially more on their studentloans, only 4 years after graduating from college. Based on those figures, some Black college students and college graduates could possibly have "Almost Grown Children" in college by the time they pay off their current studentloan debt! Now, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer. Cleve Mormon was born in Coldwater, Mississippi. He was the great uncle of a man by the name of Clifton L. Taulbert. I learned about Cleve Mormon from a book written by Clifton L. Taulbert titled,"Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored." It seems that after Cleve was grown, he moved to the town of Glenn Allan, Mississippi, in the late 1940s, early 1950s. Once there, he took an interest in the Ice Business. Therefore, around town, many of the Black People called him," The Iceman." Also, Cleve was the only Negro Ice Merchant in Glenn Allan. Interesting enough, his great nephew, Clifton L. Taulbert wrote another book about his beloved Uncle Cleve.The name of the book is,"Who Owns The Ice House." The book details eight important life lessons for aspiring Entrepreneurs. Personally, I feel that our Black Youth need to hear more information about these old Black Business Pioneers. In closing, A Black female Judge in Shreveport, Louisiana once said to me," Everybody ain't cut out for business." Well. my response to her was,"Everybody ain't cut out for college neither, but that hasn't stopped them from going out getting studentloans and getting into debt to attend college!"

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DAISY E.A. LAMPKIN

What system replaced the "PEONAGE SYSTEM" in America? For those who aren't familiar with the what the Peonage System was, it was a system where former slaves were forced to pay off a debt through physical labor. Soon after the American Civil War, about the time when America went from using "Slave Labor" to "Share-cropping & Tenant Farming," the Peonage System began spreading throughout the southern states, and some of the north. Also, this outrageous system was referred to by most people as a form debt slavery or debt servitude, because the former slaves were prohibited from moving on to another town, city, or state, until the debt was completely paid off! Ok, let's think about jobs in America and why Black People work jobs. Despite the myth that they work jobs for a living, most Black People work jobs to pay off their debts, which are numerous! Oh boy, how I wish that I had more time to discuss how "CERTAIN PEOPLE" in America have established "SEVERAL OVERT & COVERT SYSTEMS" to not only get Black People into bad debt, but to get their Black Children into bad debt as well. By the way, according to an online article,"CREDIT CARD DEBT" for Black households has risen drastically within the last two to three years. Therefore, unbeknownst to most Black People in America, instead of working to create better lives for themselves and their children, they are mainly working to "PAY OFF THEIR DEBTS!" Well, on to this week's Black Pioneer. Daisy E.A. Lampkin was born on August 9, 1883, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Of interesting note, not only was Daisy "BORN FREE in AMERICA," but so were her parents and her mother 's parents! Instead of going to college after high school, Daisy chose to remain in Reading, Pennsylvania and help her parents.However, in 1909, she decided to move to Pittsburgh. In 1912, she married a Colored man by the name of William Lampkin, who owned & operated his own restaurant in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Around this time, the discussion of "WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE" was being talked about all around Pittsburgh.Being that Daisy was a woman, it naturally struck a nerve with her. Some people said that this was when she first found her calling as a Female Activist, Women Suffrage Organizer, Civil Rights Activist, and National Field Secretary for the NAACP. In an article I found online, a Negro professor at Virginia Union University, who was a leading spokesman for the equality for the American Negro, by the name of Gordon B. Hancock said, "Negroes in America don't know how indebted they are to Daisy E.A. Lampkin for what she had done and sacrificed for the Negro Cause!" In October 1964, Daisy E.A. Lampkin suffered a severe stroke, which she was unable to recover from. She died on March the 9, 1965, only a day or so before March 11, 1965, when I, Garry O'Dell Blanson, entered this world.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" HENDERSON H. DUNN

While I was laying down, it was brought to my remembrance that there was a book "Published in 1930" by the Douglas Loan Company Inc. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana titled, "Who's Who in Colored Louisiana." By the way, I would like to mention that this book is the only place that I have been able to find a picture of "Dr. John Tildon Miller," one of the founders of the Miller-Roy Building in Monroe, Louisiana. The book was edited by A. E. Perkins, and several of the Colored People that were recognized from Monroe, Louisiana included the Honorable R.H.Burns, A.A. Lacey, and John R. Patterson, the owner of "Patterson’s Million Article Mercantile Store," which was the largest Colored Owned Store in Monroe at the time. Additionally, the book included pertinent information about The Colored Louisiana in Education, The Colored Louisiana in War, and facts about most of the Race Riots, Insurrections, and Massacres that took place in Louisiana before 1930.There was even a write-up about the president of Southern University, Joseph S Clark. Although this book is readily available online, I regret to inform you that it's still not in any of the libraries at the schools in our Black Communities! Oh Well, on to this week's Black Pioneer. Henderson H. Dunn was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, on December 12, 1872. It was reported that Henderson received his early education at a school in Lafourche Parish, in Louisiana. The school was the first school for Colored People in Lafourche Parish, and was organized by his father, Enoch Dunn. After high school, Henderson enrolled at Straight University, which is now Dillard University, in New Orleans Louisiana, where he went on to receive 2 degrees. He received his B.A. in Education in 1900 and his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1904. In addition to teaching, Henderson was once the pastor of Morris Brown C.C. in New Orleans and the pastor of the Central Congregational Church in New Orleans. He also held other interesting positions such as director and teacher at the Milne Boys Home in New Orleans, where he supervised competitive examinations that determined the appointment of qualified persons to teaching position in New Orleans Public School System, and his position as secretary of the Congregational Churches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. While he was the secretary for the Congregation Churches Organization, he founded an organization known as the Colored Education Alliance, an organization dedicated to obtaining a expanded number of schools for Colored Communities. Finally, he was a tenured news writer for the Times-Picayune newspaper. He mainly wrote about the religious and educational news within Colored Communities. Some say that he was the first Colored person to write for the Times-Picayune newspaper! From 1911 up until his death in 1955, the Colored Citizens in New Orleans looked forward to hearing Henderson make his yearly address at the "Annual Thanksgiving meeting of the Louisiana Educational Alliance," where he would document the progress of the Colored People in the United States along religious, educational and economic lines. Please note that approximately 3 years after his death, the New Orleans Public School System dedicated & named an elementary school after Henderson H. Dunn.