"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : THE 1969 DESEGREGATION COURT CONSENT DECREE, IN THE HISTORIC JIMMY ANDREWS VS THE CITY OF MONROE, LOUISIANA DESEGREGATION COURT CASE THAT LEAD TO THE INITIAL ENROLLMENT OF BLACK STUDENTS AT "NEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL"

 

                                                                                                                                                                                             "Segregation has, No Place in the American Education System"  -Richard Dawkins                                                                                                                According to reliable sources,"THE MONROE CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ACTIVELY DISCUSSING SIGNIFICANT REZONING CHANGES THAT COULD POSSIBLY PAVE THE WAY FOR NEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL TO BECOME A CHARTER SCHOOL!" Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that a couple of weeks ago, there was an article in The Monroe Free Press about how the Neville Charter Association was getting ready to REINTRODUCE their proposal to have Neville High School become a Charter School. You see, as I see it,  it was by CHOICE that "WHITE PARENTS" CHOSE to withdraw  their "WHITE CHILDREN" from public schools and enroll them into PRIVATE SEGREGATED SCHOOLS, IN THE FIRST PLACE! Also, up until the Louisiana State Congress refusal to allocate MILLIONS of DOLLARS in funding for Governor Jeff Landry's  FLAGSHIP PROGRAM, "THE LOUISIANA GATOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM," there was very little discussions about A NEW REZONING PLAN FOR MONROE CITY SCHOOLS. Additionally, the REZONING DISCUSSIONS seem to be mainly centered around transferring Black Students OUT OF SALLIE HUMBLE, LEXINGTON, AND NEVILLE TO MAKE ROOM FOR WHITE STUDENTS, whose parents are having problems paying the HIGH COSTS of sending their children to PRIVATE SEGREGATED SCHOOLS! Furthermore, I feel that Black Parents who have children at Sallie Humble, Lexington, and Neville should be paying close attention to what the Neville Charter Association and other White Organizations are plotting behind close doors!!! With that said, let me inform everyone about The 1969 Court Decree in Monroe Louisiana. Well, let's start with the Desegregation Lawsuit Case that led to the court decree. Back on August 5, 1965, Jimmy Andrews and Tommy Robertson filed a lawsuit against The City of Monroe, the Mayor, and the members of the Monroe City School Board, through their mothers, Ms. Etta Mae Andrews and Ms. Odell Willis, alleging racial segregation and discrimination in the operation of the Monroe City Public Schools. After months of deliberations, Judge Ben C. Dawkins Jr. issued a court order for the Monroe City Schools to desegregate, establishing a plan that mandated an end to bi-racial systems, requiring the city and parish districts to merge plans to integrate students and staff. One of the things that caught my eye is that since Judge Dawkins original court ruling in1969,"HIS CONSENT DECREE HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO AT LEAST TWENTY-TWO MODIFICATIONS," within the last 55 years! Finally, I would like to share this last piece of information,"WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE SMOKING GUN," behind the Neville Charter Association's scheme to make NEVILLE A CHARTER SCHOOL!                  Come to find out,"CHARTER SCHOOLS IN LOUISIANA CAN BYPASS TRADITIONAL DISTRICT MANDATES LIKE THE THE 1969 DESEGREGATION COURT CONSENT DECREE IN MONROE, LOUISIANA," because CHARTER SCHOOLS often operate under different state oversight rules and policies,"WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO SIDESTEP OLDER COURT-ORDERED DESEGREGATION PLANS AND CONSENT DECREES!" In other words, Louisiana Charter Schools are allowed to CLAIM PUBLIC SCHOOL STATUS, even though they are SEGREGATED AS HELL, and receive public funding as well! In closing, I would like to say that it is discouraging to say the least that many of our Black Public Elected Leaders and other Black Representatives in Monroe have decided to remain quiet, instead of speaking out on pertinent issues such as THE NEVILLE CHARTER ASSOCIATION'S  SHAMEFUL ATTEMPT to BYPASS the CURRENT DESEGREGATION LAWS and CONSENT DECREES that have been in place for DECA

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : WHARLEST JACKSON SR., FORMER TREASURER OF THE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI BRANCH OF THE NAACP

 

                                                                                               "Before Black People Die, We Multiply"            -Garry Blanson                                                                                                                                     It saddens me dearly when I think about all of the Black People who were killed at the hands of Police in America; those who were innocent, and those who were guilty, "BUT SHOULD NOT OF BEEN MURDERED BY VIGILANTE JUSTICE!"          On You-Tube, there is a video from 1969 of Civil Rights Activist/Actress Ruby Dee reading off a long list of the names of Black People who were killed by Police in America.You know what's even sadder than the Police killing Black People? What is even sadder is how so many of the guilty Policemen and Policewomen are allowed to escape punishment! By the  way, two of the most hideous incidents of Police killing Black People occurred right by here in Northeast Louisiana! The first incident that  I remember was the murder of "RONALD GREEN" by White Louisiana State Police Officers. Strangely enough, if it had not been for a LEAKED VIDEO of the "HORRIBLE BEAT DOWN" that "RONALD GREEN" received from the State Police Officers,    "WE WOULD NOT KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BRUTAL WAY THAT RONALD GREEN DIED!"The second incident is the murder of my cousin,"WILLIAM HENDERSON," by White Monroe Police Officers. Yes, my cousin put himself in a bad situation, but I know that he didn't deserve to be executed by a firing squad of White Monroe Police Officers! These are just two on the many recorded times that Black People lives have been wrongfully taken by Police."WELL, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT IT ALL IS THAT THEY CAN'T KILL US ALL!" Nevertheless, on to this week's Black Pioneer, Wharlest Jackson Sr.! Wharlest Jackson Sr. was born in 1929, the same year as previous "OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE BLACK PIONEERS," Martin Luther King Jr. and Pythina "Pye" Brown. Similar to many other Black Pioneers, there's no information online about Wharlest early life. As a matter of fact, the only information that I was able to find centered around his job and the bombing of his vehicle, which brought about his untimely death!     However, his oldest son praised Wharlest as being a good fisherman, hunter, and family provider. In addition to his being a fine sportsman, Wharlest was noted as being a fearless Civil Rights Activist.            By the way, at the time of his death, he held the position as treasurer for the Natchez Chapter of the NAACP. Additionally, Wharlest was employed at The Armstrong Rubber and Tire Company in Natchez, Mississippi. About week or so before Wharlest was killed, he received a promotion as well as a raise in pay at his job, which didn't sit well with the White workers at his job. You see, two other White workers had applied for the position, but Wharlest, a Negro was chosen for the position instead! Furthermore, it is rumored that two members of the local KLU KLUX KLAN had attached a bombing device under the frame of Wharlest vehicle, below the driver's seat.On the night of February 27, 1967, after working a full shift, and putting in a couple of hours of overtime, Wharlest exited the building of The Armstrong Rubber and Tire Company, got in his vehicle, and drove off. Wharlest was only a couple blocks away from his home when the bomb exploded, blowing off the roof of his vehicle, and thrusting Wharlest body from his vehicle! When his oldest son, Wharlest Jackson Jr. heard the loud blast from the yard of the Jackson home, he got on his bike and rode toward the sound of the blast. Once Wharlest Jr. made it to the site, he found his father's disfigured body lying in the street! Following a local investigation, and several FBI investigations, the case was closed, without anyone ever being arrested at all! On that dreadful day when Wharlest Jackson Sr. died, he left behind a wife and four children, which substantiates my quote at the beginning of this week's article,"BEFORE BLACK PEOPLE DIE, WE MULTIPLY!" 

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : BURG JONES," The Colored Man Who Once Owned Multiple Properties On Burg Jones Lane As Well As The Land Where Berg Jones Lane Elementary School Was Built in Monroe, Louisiana"

 

                                                                                                                                                                    If you were to ask most Black People in Monroe, Louisiana just who is Berg Jones Lane Elementary School named for, many of them would probably say that the school's name came from the name of the street. However, this answer leads us to the question,"WHERE DID THE STREET GET IT'S NAME FROM?" To the surprise of many Black People in Monroe,"BOTH THE STREET AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL IS NAMED FOR A COLORED MAN BY THE NAME OF BURG JONES!" As a matter of fact, current Monroe City Councilman Verbon Muhammad said that during the years when he served as a Monroe City School Board Member, he repeatedly tried to get the spelling of Berg Jones Lane Elementary changed to coinside with the spelling of the name of the street, and Mr. Burg Jones name. Also, according to reliable sources, the spelling of the school's name should have been spelled,"BURG JONES LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL," not Berg Jones Lane Elementary School! By the way, as I was researching online, I found an article from 2020, "BY A MONROE NEWSTAR REPORTER NAMED BONNIE BOLDEN," who was also curious as to why the name is misspelled! In her article, Bonnie said that she even went to the extent of getting Brent Vidrine's secretary, "LAURA JACOBS" to go back and look up the year when Berg Jones Lane Elementary School was built, to try and see if she could find any information as to why the name of the school was misspelled. However, she wasn't able to find a reason for the blatant error! I guess that this  incident is similar to how people get their names misspelled on their "BIRTH CERTIFICATES." Oh well, on to this week's Black Pioneer, Burg Jones! Although I couldn't find any information online about Burg's early life or education, it was reported that as early as 1897, Burg Jones  was purchasing land in Monroe. Also, an online article stated that between 1883 and 1946,"THERE WERE MORE THAN 20 SEPARATE PROPERTY ACQUISITION TRANSACTIONS LISTED UNDER THE NAME OF BURG JONES!" Furthermore, "THANKS TO THE 1976 BI-CENTENNIAL REPORT THAT B.D. ROBINSON AND THE BLACK BI-CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE PUBLISHED IN 1976, I was able to learn that Burg Jones was a part of a collection of prominent Colored People living in Monroe, Louisiana, in the early 1900s.You see, as a Businessman, Burg realize that owning land was just as important as getting an Education! Again, according to the report, he was a strong believer in God, and he believed in participating in local civic activities that impacted the lives of Colored Citizens in Monroe. Interestingly enough, sometime before or after his death, Burg Jones Road was rename Burg Jones Lane. One last thing,"IN THE 1976 BI-CENTENNIAL REPORT," two of Burg Jones descendants , were mentioned. One of them was Herbert Sullivan Brice, and Herbert's grandfather, Albert Jones Brice was the other. In closing, I would like to say,"I wish that Black People in Monroe would unite and organize NEW BLACK ORGANIZATIONS, NEW BLACK COMMITTEES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY NEW PASSIONATE BLACK LEADERS THAT TRULY CARE ABOUT OUR BLACK CAUSE, EVEN IF THEY RECEIVE LITTLE MONEY, PUBLICITY, or APPLA

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : PYTHINA "PYE" BROWN.

 "The Education of The Negro has become the Perfect device for Control(by the American Government) from Without" Carter G. Woodson                                                                                                                                      What if I told you that the "VERY  SYSTEM" that Black People in Monroe, Louisiana have come to think of as the "GREAT EQUALIZER" that was supposed  to "LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD" is the very same "SYSTEM" that has been used as a device to Control and Oppress Black People from without for "OVER 150 YEARS?"                Well, Garry Blanson, please don't keep everyone in suspense, tell us what Institution you're referring to! Ok, since you all are curious to know, the "GREAT SYSTEM" is non-other than "THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM!" Before I go any further, let me speak on the Carter G. Woodson's quote about how the Education of The Negro is a perfect device for Control of the Negro from without.                         You see,"CONTRARY TO WHAT MOST BLACK PEOPLE IN MONROE HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO THINK AND BELIEVE,"Carter G. Woodson believed that The AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM was not designed to EMPOWER BLACK PEOPLE, BUT TO OPPRESS THEM!" How might this be done you ask, "BY CONTROLLING HOW BLACK PEOPLE THINK, OF COURSE!". Additionally, in his great "NEGRO CLASSIC" book,"THE MISEDUCATION OF THE NEGRO,"  Carter G. Woodson said,"WHEN YOU CONTROL A MAN'S THINKING, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIS ACTIONS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU DETERMINE WHAT A MAN SHALL THINK, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CONCERN YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT HE WILL DO!"  Thus, by controlling how Black People think, "YOU RETARD THEIR POWER TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES," and this is one of the main reasons why I feel that "SCHOOLING," which is MASQUERADED and PARADED throughout our Black Communities in Monroe as "TRUE EDUCATION," continues to hinder the progress and advancement of our Black Communities in Monroe, Louisiana! Therefore, I certainly have to agree with Carter G. Woodson's assertion about The American Education System being a perfect device for Control from without. Now, on to this week's Black Pioneer,Pythina "Pye" Brown! In 1929,        the same year that Martin Luther King Jr. was born, about 9 miles out of Shreveport, Louisiana, in a rural town known as Blanchard, the Brown family welcomed their little baby girl, Pythina "Pye" Brown, into the world! When it came time for Pye to attend school, her father insisted that she attend a city school in Shreveport, which meant that Pye could attend school in Shreveport during the week, and return to her home in Blanchard on the weekends.During her time in school there was a popular saying,"Don't bend the Child to fit the book,Bend the book to fit the Child!"Oh how I wish that the Board of Education Members, Principals, and School  Teachers of today would embrace the sentiment of that Old Adage!                  So through the week, this little country girl would travel all the way to Shreveport to attend Mt. Zion Elementary School, but on the weekends she would return home to be with her parents. When people would ask Pye what she wanted to be when she grew up,"SHE WOULD ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE A SCHOOL TEACHER!" As a matter of fact, from the very first time she learned about school, she knew that she wanted to be a School Teacher! Interesting, when Pye graduated from High School, she became the first member, on both sides of her family to actually graduate from High School.             By the way, Pye's father had always heard that Grambling College was the place to attend if a Black Student wanted to attain a teaching degree.Therefore, he was going to have her attend Grambling, and get her Teaching Degree, however, Pye had plans of her own! Without telling her father she went and applied to become a teacher in the Lake Charles School System. For some reason or another, her contract from the Lake Charles School System was delayed in the mail to the point that she almost took a teaching job in Caddo Parish, which she really was against doing. Days before she was to become a Teacher in Caddo Parish, something told her to check the mail one last time, and it was a good thing that she did,"FOR  INCLUDED IN THE MAIL FOR HER FAMILY WAS THE TEACHER'S CONTRACT THAT  SHE HAD BEEN EXPECTING!"             A couple of weeks later, Pye began her teaching career at The First Ward Colored School in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she ended up teaching for 17 years. Furthermore, to this day Pythina "Pye" Brown is remembered as A Black Trailblazer and Heroine in the City of Lake Charles, Louisiana!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : DR. CUTHBERT ORMOND SIMPKINS - A Founding Member The Southern Christian Leadership Conference

                                                                                                         Candidly, I would like to state for the record that I feel that the efforts of the NEVILLE CHARTER ASSOCIATION to make Neville High School a Charter School is NOTHING MORE THAN A BLATANT and COVERT ATTEMPT TO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BLACK STUDENTS AT NEVILLE! You see, since the current student population at NEVILLE is approximately 61% Black,  many White Parents aren't enrolling their White Children at the school, even though they currently live in the Neville School Zone. Well, I feel that this matter goes all the way back to the 1965  Andrews vs The City of Monroe "DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT" that was filed, back in 1965, which paved the way for the "VERY FIRST" Black Students to attend Neville High School! Strangely enough, it was the decision handed down in The Andrew Ms vs The City of Monroe Court Case court that lead to the "WHITE FLIGHT" Era at Neville High School. Almost immediately after the court's ruling in the case, many of the White Parents failed to enroll their White Children at Neville, and begin sending their White Children to "SEGREGATED ACADEMIES," which are now known as Private Schools.By the way, currently the White Student Population at Neville is approximately 36%, which makes me suspect that I am right on point about my accusations about The Neville Charter Association's INTENTIONS TO LOWER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BLACK STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL, BY MAKING NEVILLE A CHARTER SCHOOL! Now that I have said what I said, on to this week's Black Pioneer, Dr. Cuthbert Ormond Simpkins! Cuthbert  was born on January 13, 1925, in Mansfield, Louisiana. While I didn't find any information about his early childhood Education, I did find out that Cuthbert once studied at Wiley College, and that he had graduated from Tennessee State University, with a degree in Dentistry. Additionally, he received his Doctorate of Dentistry Degree from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, which was located in Nashville, Tennessee. Also, during World War ll, he served in the United States Air Force. Upon returning home to the United States from the war, Cuthbert decided to establish his Dentistry Clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana. While working  and living in Shreveport, he couldn't help but notice the excessive racism that plagued the city. Therefore, not being one to just sit idly by, like a spectator, at a football game, he decided that he had to join in the fight for The Civil Rights of The Negro in Shreveport, Louisiana! At a local Civil Rights meeting, he learned that Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was thinking about starting a group to combat the racism going on in the South.Through a mutual connection, he was able to meet with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and received more information about the group. On January 10, 1957, Cuthbert, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a few others, founded The Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Several other interesting facts about Cuthbert included : his home was bombed by The KLU KLUX KLAN in the early1960s ; he moved to New York after the bombing incident, and stayed there for 26 years ; he returned  to Shreveport Louisiana in the early 1990s and won a seat in the House of Representatives, representing  Districts 4, from 1992 - 1996 ; and before he died, he and his wife donated land for the construction of a Community Clinic to serve Black Citizens in Shreveport. Yes, people  in the South are still talking about Cuthbert Ormond Simpkins and his outstanding contributions to The Civil Rights efforts in Shreveport, Louisiana! Well, it was certainly a sad day on December 4, 2019, when Black People in Shreveport got the news that their beloved Champion for Civil Rights, "Dr.Cuthbert Ormond Simpkins," had transitioned from earth to glory!               Lastly, in 2020, the City Officials of Mansfield, Louisiana honored Cuthbert, by officially renaming their Post Office after h

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : ZELMA C. WYCHE, Affectionately Known As "Mr. Civil Rights of Louisiana," by the Negro Citizens of Tallulah, Louisiana

                                                                                                        Some People in Monroe, Louisiana would  love to try and correct me when they hear me talk of The City of Monroe as being "TWO DISTINCT CITIES!" First, you have the White City of Monroe, then you have The Black City of Monroe. It's no surprise that "WHITE MONROE" always seems to end up with "A MUCH LARGER SHARE" of the City, State, and Federal grants, contracts, funds, and other benefits that come down the turnpike, while "BLACK MONROE" always has to "SETTLE" and "ACCEPT" the "LEFTOVER CRUMBS!" You see, one of the "WEIRDEST THINGS" about the current circumstances in Monroe is that when Mayor Oliver Ellis first announced that he was going to be running for Mayor of Monroe,"HE REPORTEDLY STATED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A KNOE NEWS REPORTER THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS HE WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR WAS BECAUSE MANY MONROE RESIDENTS FELT LIKE THE CITY OF MONROE IS A DIVIDED COMMUNITY," AND THAT HE QUOTE,''WANTED TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER OVER THINGS THEY HAVE IN COMMON, SO THEY COULD BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND ADDRESS RACE RELATIONS & DIVISION." What Mayor Oliver Ellis said back then is hunky-dory, mighty-fine,"BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT HE DID NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO FULFILLING HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISE TO UNITE THE BLACK AND WHITE CITIZENS OF MONROE! Additionally, all of the recent ridiculous stunts, just within the last 10 months, such as when The Mayor decided to waste "OVER $200,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS" of valuable taxpayers money, on the Reginal Brown Case ;  when he deliberately went out of his way to undermine The Monroe City Council's authority to select The Monroe City Fire Marshal, by involving State Senator Cathey and Governor Jeff Landry ; and just recently, when he persuaded Monroe City Councilman, Doug Harvey to "LEAD A PUSHBACK CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE I-20 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT'S  APPROVAL of A $4.5 MILLION DEAL THAT WOULD ALLOW A BLACK INVESTOR TO BENEFIT FROM I-20 CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSIONS," ALL RUN CONTRARY TO MAYOR ELLIS'S CAMPAIGN PROMISE!!! All I can say is that I can certainly understand why some of the "LEADING CITIZENS" of Monroe, Louisiana  have decided to initiate "A RECALL ON MAYOR OLIVER ELLIS!" Enough about all that, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer, Zelma C. Wyche! Zelma was born on January 24, 1918, in the small town of Tallulah, Louisiana. Living  in rural town in the early 1909s didn't allow for most young Negro Children to attend school, as a matter of fact, you were considered very fortunate if you could attend school for one month out of the year, let alone nine months! Therefore, most of Zelma 's education came by way of the farm. By the way, in his early Twenties, Zelma became a Barber by trade, but later played a very important role in fighting for  the rights of Negroes in Tallulah as well as fighting for  this country, when he enlisted in the Army, during WWll. After returning home from the war, he went back to his trade, as a Barber, and continuing to fight for the Civil Rights of Negroes in Tallulah. During The many protests that Zelma participated in. he was only arrested 6 times.The most serious arrest happen when he hit a White Doctor at a Truck stop on Highway 80, in Tallulah. Although Zelma was sentenced to serve 4 months in jail, he only served 34 of the days. One day, while cutting hair in his Barber Shop, Zelma got the inclination to run for Police Chief of Tallulah. However, once he qualified to run for election, WHITE POLITICIANS in Tallulah held the election as a "SPECIAL ELECTION," rather than as a regular election,"A POLITICAL TACTIC THAT'S STILL BEING USED AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE TO THIS VERY DAY," which confused most of the Negro Voters in Tallulah. Once Zelma found out about what had been done, he sued for another election to be held. Thankfully, he won his lawsuit, and he also won the next election for Police Chief, and on June 26, 1969, Zelma was sworn in and took his position as "The Newly Elected Police Chief of Tallulah, Louisiana!" Interestingly, his tenure  as Police lasted all the way up until June 30, 1978. Finally, in 1985, for a "SWAN SONG," Zelma  decided to throw this hat in the Race to become the next Mayor of the town of Tallulah. Surprisingly, he ended up receiving almost 56 percent of the votes, in winning the election, and he officially took office in 1986. On September 24, 1999, Zelma C. Wyche, "Mr. Civil Rights of Louisiana," Long-term Police Chief and former Mayor of the town of Tallulah, went home to ever be with the Lord! How Did I come across all this information you ask? Well, it's simple, I read it online, of course! 

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : WALTER H. WILLIAMS

                                                                                                          As we look back on the History of the first Schools for Colored Children in Monroe, Louisiana and Ouachita Parish that were setup following the American Civil War,      the school that stands out is, "The WIsner School," started by Richard Barrington. However, let us not forget that there were several other Schools for Colored Children that came before the WIsner School.            You see, there was about a 4 - 5 year period in between when President Abraham Lincoln first signed the legislation for the establishment of the Freedmen's Bureau, which was to provide relief, education, and legal assistance to formerly enslaved people and poor whites in the South, before the WIsner School came into existence. Sadly, the records of the temporary Colored Schools that were once located in Monroe, Louisiana from 1865 - 1869, are no longer readily available in Monroe!!! Although the records and pictures of the Former Freedmen Schools aren't readily available anymore,for the citizens of Monroe to study and learn from, their importance and the vital role they once played in the Educating of Black Citizens and Black Children of Monroe, following the American Civil War, will long be remembered by future generation.Now, on to this week's Black Pioneer, Walter H. Williams! One thing that's different about this week's Black Pioneer is that he was actually born in Toronto. Canada. You see, way before Walter was born, his father, Reason Williams, decided to escape to Canada,"WHERE HE COULD TRULY LIVE AS A FREE MAN! Therefore, In 1825,  Reason Williams moved from the state of Virginia to Canada. Although Reason Williams never returned to America, his two sons, William and Moses, returned to America to take part the "THE GREAT RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH," shortly after the American Civil War. Before the Winter of 1867,  William had settled down in Lafayette, Louisiana. Although there have been disputes as to who was the very first Black School Teacher for The Freedmen's Bureau, most reports state that William H. Williams was the first Black Canadian to officially be Appointed by the Freedmen's Bureau to teach Colored Children in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Feb. 3, 1868.     Even though Walter had to endure opposition and hard trials from White Citizens in Lafayette, he was able to keep on going! Additionally, Walter was even more encouraged when his brother, Moses Williams, who was also a School Teacher decided to come and join him in his efforts to teach the Colored Students in Lafayette. Since both Walter and Moses Williams could speak French as well as English, they were able to breakdown many of the barriers in communication that had existed in the community. Furthermore, it was reported that he had 40 or more Colored Students in his class. Two of the main things that lead to the end of Freedmen Schools in Louisiana were : by 1872, the Freedmen's Bureau had begun to release responsibility of teaching Colored Children to Missionary Organizations ; and in 1872, the Louisiana Congress failed to renew funding for the Freedmen Schools in Louisiana. By the way, in 1872, Walter married Pearl Gennieve Doucet, the daughter of Jouchan and Delia (Michel) Doucet, the couple ended up having 7 children together. When the Freedmen  Schools closed, Walter went on teaching in other public and private schools, in Louisiana, until the mid-1880s. Following  his Career as a School Teacher, Walter went on to serve approximately 12 years, as a public servant at the U.S. Custom House, at the Port of New Orleans, but he later returned to teaching in Lafayette, Louisiana. Regretfully, Walter H. Williams was killed in 1902, during a dispute with a White Man in the pop bottling business, over the amount of money Walter was to receive for returning some pop bottles. Of course, the White merchant was acquitted for murdering Walter!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : MADAM M.E.D. HOCKENHULL "PART - TWO of A TWO PART SERIES"

                                                                                                     Welcome back Everyone! Before I end the suspense and reveal the information about Isac Gray Hockenhull that I promised everyone in my last article,"I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THE "RECALL EFFORTS" OF MAYOR OLIVER ELLIS HAVE OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!!                         With that said, let me share the special information about Isac Gray Hockenhull as well as more information about his enterprising mother, MaI would like to announce that dam M.E.D. Hockenhull! I was very surprised to learn that Isac ended up meeting & marrying a nice young Negro lady that has been featured throughout the United States. While she is known mainly for her stunning voice and her fantastic singing ability, this young lady also shined when she would assist Isac and his mother in their Hair Care and Beauty Business. Additionally, her fame and her name is known all over the world! Who was this young Negro Lady, the one who was known simply as,"Isac Hockenhull 's wife, from 1936 to 1941, while they were married. "WELL, MAYBE IF I MENTION THAT SHE HAD THE HONOR OF SINGING TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING MILLIONS OF HER FANS & ADMIRERS AT THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON, HER NAME WILL ROLL OFF YOUR TONGUES LIKE THAT!" If your answer was "MAHALIA JACKSON, THE QUEEN OF GOSPEL," you are absolutely correct! Ok, now let's get back to Isac's mother, "Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull." Soon after marrying her second husband, Robert Hockenhull, the couple opened, owned, and operated the very first Hotel for Colored People, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. However, it seems that once the Hotel was running smoothly, Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull opened her own Beauty Store called,"Ladies Choice Millinery Store and Beauty Parlor." Ladies, imagine being a Colored Woman around 1910, and walking into a store where there was a plethora of products, ranging from hats and handmade dresses to hair and beauty products of all sorts! By the way, in addition to  all the other products that she offered, she actually manufactured and offered her own hair care line as well. Furthermore, like her contemporaries, Madam C.J.Walker and Annie Turnbo Malone, she founded a Beauty School, where she taught her Hair and Beauty System to Negro girls & women. In 1913, word about Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull 's business and the success that she was having in Pine Bluff got to the Famed Educator, Booker T. Washington.In 1914, a little over a year before his death in 1915, he sent a letter to her requesting her to be one of the guest speakers at The 15th Annual Convention of The National Negro Business League that was going to be held in Muskegon Oklahoma.Needless to say, she glady accepted Booker T. Washington's invitation, "AND IN 1914 MADAM M.E.D. HOCKENHULL JOINED MADAM C.J.WALKER, AS BEING TWO OF THE FIRST NEGRO WOMEN TO EVER SPEAK AT A NATIONAL NEGRO BUSINESS LEAGUE CONVENTION!" Interestingly, not only did Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull give her speech at the convention, she also put on a fashion clinic, displaying several of the latest styles of her  handmade dresses as well as her other products that she  manufactured for the convention. By the time the convention ended, everyone at the convention was raving about Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull and her fabulous dresses! For unknown  reasons, in the early 1920s, she divorced Robert Hockenhull and arranged for her and Isaac to move to Chicago, Illinois, where with the assistance of Isaac, and later, Mahalia Jackson Hockenhull, she continued making her fine products, and teaching  her Hair & Beauty System! Sadly, on December 18, 1937, after teaching thousands of Negro Women her Hair & Beauty System, Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull departed this world, but while she was here she blazed a trail for other Black Female Beauticians to follo

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : MADAM M.E.D. HOCKENHULLL "PART - ONE of A TWO SERIES"

                                                                                      Perhaps, if you are over the age of 50,     you may have heard of the ambiguous old saying,"If you want to hide something from a Negro, put it in a book!" Well, when I was in school, I think the people in Louisiana who were in charge of selecting the content that went into the history books at the schools that I attended, on the Southside  of Monroe must have felt that it was "JUST AS EASY TO LEAVE INFORMATION OUT OF SCHOOL HISTORY BOOKS ALL TOGETHER!" Therefore, to help everyone understand just what I'm referring to, I decided to list the name of several prominent Black People who once lived right here in Monroe, Louisiana,"BUT NONE OF THEIR NAMES MADE IT INTO ANY OF THE HISTORY BOOKS AT THE SCHOOLS IN MONROE." Furthermore, I would like to make it clear that these Black Pioneers helped paved the way for Black People living in Monroe today!!! For instance, Richard Barrington,    the former slave of Louisiana Senator Solomon W. Downs, who ended up buying the headstone for his former Slave-master's grave, and helped establish the WIsner School that later became Carroll High School ; Anthony Overton Sr., who helped organize one of the first schools in Ouachita Parish for Colored Children, in 1867 ; Anthony Overton ll, who had one of the largest Black-Owned Businesses in Chicago, around 1925 ; Doctors John T. Miller and Joseph C. Roy Jr., who had the Historic Miller-Roy Building built in 1929 ; Gertrude Ammons, who was the first Black supervisor of instruction in the Ouachita Parish School System, in 1931 ; Samuel B. Fuller, who was a well-established Black Businessman,"AND PART OF HIS LIFE STORY WAS INCLUDED IN ONE OF THE ALL-TIME BEST SELLING BOOKS ON SUCCESS TITLED, SUCCESS THROUGH A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE," which was written by Napoleon Hill & W. Clement Stone ; Mary Ann Cook, who ran her own private school for Colored Children, in Monroe ; Solomon Lee Robinson, who was the father of Monroe Educators B.D. Robinson, Zettie Robinson Beckwith, Mary Frances Robinson Goins, and former Sickle Cell Director Vivian Robinson Hester ; Ibra "January The Tailor" January, one of the leading Negro tailors in Monroe ; William Medlock, who owned a funeral home, and ran a construction company ; Maceio Dunn, who owned and ran his own funeral casket  company ;  Abraham Bowie Sr., who owned and operated his own restaurant on Desiard Street ; James "SON" Starks, whose Motel was located in the Miller-Roy Building on Desiard Street ; and Dr. Raymond O. Pierce, who owned and operated Pierce Pharmacy on Desiard  Street, along with his daughter Arnetta Pierce, who was the first Black Female Pharmacist in Monroe.These are just a few of the many Black Pioneers whose names and accomplishments that I feel should have been included in the books at the schools in Monroe, Louisiana!             By the way, I could go on for days about the influential Black People who weren't included in the history books, at the schools in Monroe, but I must move on to this week's Black Pioneer, "Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull!" You know, it's bewildering to think that a Colored Woman such as Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull, who was a Pioneer in the  development of hair and beauty products for Colored Women throughout America, and was a  Contemporary of such hair and beauty Pioneers as,"MADAM C.J. WALKER AND ANNIE TURNBO MALONE," could be excluded from the history books that were issued to the schools in Monroe, Louisiana! Also, to add insult to injury, not only wasn't her name put in any of the school history books,"BUT RARELY IS HER NAME MENTIONED, DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAMS, AT ANY OF THE SCHOOLS IN LOUISIANA!" With all that said, Madam M.E.D. Hockenhull was welcomed into the world in Como, Mississippi - Panola County, on May 13,1873, to United States Colored Troops Civil War Veteran, Edward Danner Sr. and Louisa B.Danner. Her parents decided to name her, Martha "Mattie" Ella Danner. As for her education, Martha received her early  schooling at various schools for Colored Children in Panola County.  Although she dropped out of school, Martha had skills and was very creative. She could sew very well, and she even thought about becoming a fashion designer! However, many of her close family and friends influenced her to pursue a teaching career. In case some of you all didn't know, back in the early 1900s, many School Systems in the United States would allow a person to take an examination to become a teacher,"MEANING THAT A COLLEGE DEGREE WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR HER TO GET A JOB AS A TEACHER!" Nevertheless, after teaching in Panola County for a couple of years, Martha met, fell in love with, and married a preacher by the name of Reverend John Gray. From this union, a male child was born, who they named Isaac Gray. As fate would have it, Martha divorced her husband and moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with her son Isac."PLEASE BE SURE AND LOOK OUT FOR NEXT WEEK'S PART-TWO CLIMAX OF OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE ARTICLE, TO DISCOVER SOMETHING ABOUT ISAC THAT MANY BLACK PEOPLE IN MONROE LOUISIANA DO NOT EVEN KNOW!"           Now, back to our story. Within two years of divorcing her former husband, Martha was in love again and had found a new love, and his name was Robert Hockenhull. Robert was an astute Businessman, and he was smart to include Martha as his Business Partner. Additionally, Robert decided to adopt Isaac and Isaac adopted the Hockenhull name! "TO BE CONTINUED, PLEASE STAY TUNED!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : FORMER PASTORS OF THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO, "BRIGHT OAK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH" OF MONROE, LOUISIANA

                                                                            .                      "The people who had Martin Luther King Jr. killed thought that by killing the DREAMER, they could kill the DREAM,but they couldn't!"                                                                                                                                                       Sometime from 1955 - 1962,"THE PEOPLE IN MONROE, LOUISIANA THAT WERE BEHIND THE DISPLACEMENT OF NEGROES FROM THE OLD NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK, IN MONROE, LOUISIANA THOUGHT THAT THE NEXT GENERATION OF BLACK PEOPLE IN MONROE WOULD NOT FIND OUT ABOUT THE EVIL THAT THEY DID!" What they did caused a good number of Negro families in Monroe, Louisiana to be displaced from their homes. You see,it seems that Negroes in Monroe were told that they had to sell their land to the Louisiana State Highway Department, because of a pending highway project. However, after all was said and done,"MOSTLY ALL THAT WAS BUILT ON THE LAND THAT THEY SOLD WERE WHITE BUSINESSES ; TOWNHOUSES FOR WEALTHY WHITE PEOPLE ; A NEW SCHOOL FOR WHITE STUDENTS, ROBERT E. LEE JR. HIGH SCHOOL ; AND A NEW OUACHITA PARISH LIBRARY THAT WAS FOR WHITES ONLY!" For all of those who don't believe what you just read, all you have to do is ask some of the older adults, Black and White, or you can perform a thorough research. Thankfully, I was able to learn about what happened from one of my old church members, Bernard Menyweather, who had lived in "THE OLD NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK." Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me provide everyone with a brief rundown of the names of a few of The former Pastors of Bright Oak Missionary Baptist Church. Although I wasn't able to find out the year that the church  was founded, I was able to come up with the names of several of the former Pastors of the church. In the late 1940s, Reverend Lewis J. Jacobs was elected Pastor of  Bright Oak Missionary Baptist Church.     Next, there was Reverend Felix Thompson, followed by Reverend William H. Ellis, and lastly, Reverend A. T. Thomas, who was Pastor of The Bright Oak Missionary Baptist Church when it was "OFFICIALLY INCORPORATED," back in 1959! Interestingly, along with Pastor  A.T. Thomas's name,  three Deacons names also appear on the Document to Incorporate the church. The Deacons names were :  James Monroe Menyweather, Tom Beavers, and Charles Tippit. Hopefully, in the coming months, more and more people will come forth with more information on the former Pastors of The Bright Oak Missionary Baptist Church! In closing, I would like for it to be known and recorded that there are probably less than 100 Black People presently living who actually lived in The Old Negro Neighborhood of BRIGHT OAK, one of them is Bernard Menyweather, who currently resides in Monroe, and a Black Lady by the name of Virginia Adams, who currently is living with family members in Texas is an

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : ST. JOSEPH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF WEST MONROE, LOUISIANA

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE"  :                                                                    ST. JOSEPH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF WEST MONROE, LOUISIANA                                                                                          INTERESTING  FACT : "One of the previous Our Rich Black Heritage Black Pioneers, Deacon Bennerson Stamper was a dedicated member of St. Joseph" 

 

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : ST. JOSEPH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF WEST MONROE, LOUISIANA

                                                                                          INTERESTING  FACT : "One of the previous Our Rich Black Heritage Black Pioneers, Deacon Bennerson Stamper was a dedicated member of St. Joseph"                                                                                                                        Have you ever bought a used item before? If you have, you probably know how frustrating buying an used item can sometimes get! Well, I have found that even though buying an used item can be frustrating, it can also get your Mind to explore new & different ways of getting things to work. Case in point :  I recently bought a used DVD PLAYER. At first everything  worked just find, then about 8 hours later, while I was watching a copy of my Mother, "Mrs. Jessie Mae Edwards - Phenix Blanson" Funeral on the DVD PLAYER, everything just shutdown, like the U.S. Government has just done!                 Well, my first thought was to take the DVD PLAYER back to where I bought it from. However, then another thought came to me to repurpose it as a vanity mirror. Anyways, as I was  thinking about salvaging the other accessories that came with the DVD PLAYER, I decided to see if I could use the power cord for the DVD PLAYER on one of my other DVD PLAYERS. Surprisingly,         the cord from the DVD PLAYER that wasn't working any longer actually worked on my smaller DVD PLAYER. Next, while I was checking to make sure that everything was working properly on my smaller DVD PLAYER, an idea popped in my head!          The idea that came to me was," if the power  cord for the DVD that stop working powered the smaller DVD PLAYER, maybe the power cord from the smaller DVD PLAYER would power the DVD PLAYER that was no longer working?" So, I went and got the DVD PLAYER that wasn't working and hooked the power cord to it, and plugged the power cord into the electric outlet. Again, to my pleasant surprise, I was stunned to find out that my power cord from my smaller DVD PLAYER ended up powering the computer that wouldn't even come on an hour ago! Therefore, instead of having to repurpose or discard my new used DVD PLAYER, it was back working. All because of me letting my mind do the "W.O.R.K.S.'" and SUPPLY ME WITH THE IDEA TO SWITCH OUT THE POWER CORDS! Now, let's get into the information that I found on The St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church of West Monroe, Louisiana. According to records, "ST. JOSEPH WAS FIRST ORGANIZED IN 1874,"ON COTTON PORT PLANTATION, IN THE OLD ST. CLAIRE SCHOOL HOUSE IN WEST MONROE LOUISIANA," by Rev Hall,     a Local Colored Pastor. Well, along with several other things that stood out about St.Joseph when I was doing my research, is not only that it's  one of the oldest Black Churches in West Monroe, "BUT IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST BLACK CHURCHES IN ALL OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA!" Also, what amazed me too, was reading about all the different locations the church has had.      You see, Rev. Hall pastored the church for    a number  of years, at the  Old St. Claire School House, before he was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Bolden. Next,  Rev. Joseph Bolden pastored the St.Joseph flock at the Old St. Claire School House, up until the School House was destroyed by fire.That's when Rev. Joseph  Bolden and the members of the church relocated the church to the 9th block of Wood Street in West Monroe, in 1878. After pastoring at St Joseph for over 20 years, Rev. Joseph Bolden resigned, to take a position at another church. In 1902, Rev C.B. Collins was elected pastor of St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church. After serving as pastor of the church for 18 years, Rev. Collins also resigned his position. Between the time of Rev. Collins departure and the incorporating of St. Joseph Baptist Church in 1952, several pastors were elected and resigned as pastor of the church. Among the names were : Rev. Oliver Williams, Rev. T.H. Evans, Rev. H.L. Broadnax, Rev. J. H. Houseley, Under Pastor Houseley's  leadership, the members of the church decided to exchanged property with a lady by the name of Mrs. Esby White,"AND THE CHURCH WAS MOVED FROM WOOD and 9TH STREET, TO THE NEW CHURCH  PROPERTY," which was located next to some property owned by Rev. Broadnax,  the previous pastor of the church. Sadly, the  church at the new location received severe fire damage around 1924, but it was totally rebuilt in 1925. In 1946, Pastor Houseley also resigned, and a pastor by the name of Rev. Rankins held the position, until an election could be held. In 1947, Rev. Jesse Allen was elected as pastor of the church,  and he was later succeeded  by Rev. C. D. Simmons, in 1949. Which brings us full circle to 1952, the year when  St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church was incorporated! By the way, it was reported that two Negro financial wizards, Reuben Myles and Alex Fuller, spearheaded the campaign to incorporate the church. Additionally, in November of 1952, soon after the church  had been incorporated, Rev. C.D. Simmons resigned , and was succeeded by a pastor  by the name of Rev. Hudson, who was succeeded by Rev. J.H. Wilbert, in 1955. Please Note ;  it is at this point in our story that we see that even Negro Churches were not sheltered from  "THE HORRIBLE, AGGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT LAND GRABBING TOOL, WHICH IS KNOWN UN-AFFECTIONATELY AS EMINENT DOMAIN!"                   In 1961,  the St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church property and Church Building,"WHICH WAS LOCATED AT 700 COLEMAN AVENUE, IN WEST MONROE, LOUISIANA WAS BOUGHT OUT BY THE LOUISIANA STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, TO MAKE WAY FOR A PENDING In HIGHWAY PROJECT!" Leading the Pastor and Church Congregation "TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AT 206 NEW NATCHITOCHES ROAD," IN WEST MONROE LOUISIANA," where the church has been since it was relocated & rebuilt, back in  November of 1962. Interesting, since it took about a year for the new church to be built, services were temporary held at the Tim Tippitt School that was located in West Monroe, until the church was completely in 1962. In closing, I hope that this week's serving of "OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" by Garry O'Dell Blanson has certainly wet your appetites, and hopefully will lead some of you all to going online to learn even more about The St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church of West Monroe, Louisiana,"ONE OF THE OLDEST BLACK CHURCHES IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA!" 

 

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : LAY A "YELLOW MARKER" FOR THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF "BRIGHT OAK," WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN MONROE, LOUISIANA

                                                                                                       Before I inform everyone about "THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD of BRIGHT OAK," I would like to see if anyone has ever heard of "A POSSIBLE COLORED COMMUNITY" that I came across online, during my researching hours. As I was researching about Black People who once lived in Monroe, I came across some information about "A POSSIBLE FORMER COLORED COMMUNITY, WHERE COLORED PEOPLE WERE REPORTED TO HAVE LIVED IN MONROE, FOLLOWING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR." Well, the Colored Community was known as "LAND O' HUDSON, or LAND ON HUDSON." Although, I haven't been able to "CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT" this Colored Community actually existed or the exact location of it, the online information stated that the Bright Oak Community included a prominent group of Colored People, and that most of the members of the community consisted of "FORMER COLORED SLAVES!" Also, it was reported that the total number of Colored People in Monroe grew rapidly to well over 10,000, by the early 1900s. By the way, it seems that due to several factors in Monroe, many of the Colored Members of Land O' Hudson Community were forced to relocate to other Colored Communities, especially locations on the East and Southside of Monroe

Henceforth, I Am requesting that anyone who may have any information or know anyone with any information about the possibility of this being true, please contact myself, Rev. Roosevelt Wright Jr., or Joslyn Wright, at The Monroe Free Press.             Now, let me "share a little something, something" about "THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD of BRIGHT OAK!"     Strangely enough, up until last year, I had never even heard a single word about,"THE "FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK!" I believe that it was at The Carver-McDonald Library in Monroe, Louisiana, "where a local Artist by the name of Bernard Menyweather was hosting his art exhibit." As he was telling us about his life in Monroe, he paused and let out a nice smile, as he started to talk about "THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK." Bernard talked about how there use to be a small pond where people would fish, and he talked about how the Ice Man would come through the neighborhood delivering huge blocks of ice, similar to how the Milkman would deliver milk, eggs, and butter to our Black Communities. Also, he talked about when they first got electricity installed in their homes. Wow, before Bernard Menyweather knew it, he had given us about 15 - 20 minutes of details about "THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK!" After hearing Bernard Menyweather express his fond memories of Bright Oak, I asked myself,"WHY ISN'T THERE A PUBLIC MARKER, I MEAN NOT EVEN A MARKER OF ANY KIND FOR THE FORMER NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK?" Well, I won't even try and go into the various reasons as to why there's not a marker, I'll just say this, "If a public  marker could be placed near Carroll High School for the Monroe Monarchs Baseball Team,"THEN SURELY A PUBLIC MARKER CAN BE PLACED AT THE SITE  OF THE FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK!' In closing, it is my hope that more and more Black and White Citizens in Monroe, Louisiana would come together and make sure that "WE LAY A YELLOW MARKER FOR THE  FORGOTTEN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRIGHT OAK, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN MONROE, LOUISIANA!"       

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : REVEREND ISSAC S. DYER, TERIECE C. I. DYER CYRUS, and DYER CHAPEL CME CHURCH of West Monroe, Louisiana

 

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" :                                                                                                                                                                                               UPDATE ON THE INVESTIGATION OF LHSAA PRACTICES & PROCEDURES :              In July of 2025, the Louisiana State Legislature launched a comprehensive study of The Louisiana High School Athletic Association, known as LHSAA, which findings are "DUE BY FEBRUARY 14, 2026," through House Concurrent Resolution 24.                    Now, on to this week's Black Pioneer! Somehow, even with the current Technology such as  A.I., Google, and other online search engines, I could not find A  Single Speck of Information on "Reverend Issac Samuel Dyer, the founder of Dyer Chapel CME  Church that's located in West Monroe, Louisiana." However, I was able to find an interesting obituary on his wife, Teriece C.I. Dyer Cyrus. It seems that Teriece was married to Reverend Issac Samuel Dyer when he founded "The Dyer Chapel CME Church, located in West Monroe, Louisiana, back in 1976!"  Also, she was born on February 17, 1912, in Calhoun, Louisiana to Verge and Nora Green Ivey. The following are several highlights from her "93 Year Journey" on this earth :  *First and foremost  was when Teriece got baptized and united with a church at a early age.   *Graduating from Grambling College with a degree in Education.* Attending Ohio State University & Boston University.  *Becoming a Librarian & Teacher at Jerry S. Moore Elementary School in Minden Louisiana. *Becoming a Librarian & Teacher at Drew Elementary School and Boley Elementary School,  in West Monroe  Louisiana. * When she became "The First Black Director" of the newly created  Ouachita Parish Head Start Program. * When she became a member of The  Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. * When she married  Reverend Issac Samuel Dyer. * When she married William Cyrus. *When she retired from the Public School System to open "The Westside Day Care & Child Development Center" with her daughter Nora, in West Monroe,  Louisiana. Sadly, on Saturday, March 26, 2005, after rendering over "35 years of  dedicated service as a Teacher in the Ouachita Parish School System, and several years of serving her community through her family's Daycare, Teriece C.I. Dyer Cyrus quietly transitioned from this life to be with the Lord! 

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : "THE FORGOTTEN 1960 ATTACKS ON NEGROES IN MONROE, LOUISIANA"

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" -Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. While people are getting past the public assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, "I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM EVERYONE ABOUT TWO HORRIFIC INCIDENTS THAT WERE PERPETRATED AGAINST UNARMED BLACK CITIZENS IN MONROE, LOUISIANA, BACK IN 1960!" Furthermore, I feel that it's a shame that these two incidents will not be discussed at any of the local schools in Monroe and Ouachita Parish, since Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley would probably label the two incidents as being "CRITICAL RACE THEORY." Now, let me begin with the first "DISTURBING INCIDENT" that took place in March of 1960, "AT A NATION of ISLAM TEMPLE HERE IN MONROE," but before going any further, I would like to say that I couldn't find any information on the reasons why the Monroe Police would carryout such vicious and brutal attacks on defenseless women and children, who weren't harming anyone at the time of the raid. As the story goes, after members of the Monroe Police Department had beaten several Negro women and children, they went after the Local Minister of the Nation of Islam Temple,"MINISTER TROY CADE," who is now known as Abdul Bey Muhammad. By the way, it was reported that the Monroe Police attempted to "LYNCH" Minister Troy Cade with his own "NECK-TIE," by hanging him from "A RAFTER," inside of the Nation of Islam Temple! Now, Ain't That A Biscuit??? Note : After the failed attempted Lynching of Minister Troy Cade, in order to dissuade police from attempting to use "NECK-TIES" to "LYNCH" it's "MALE MEMBERS," The Nation of Islam instituted a new policy, whereby the "MALE MEMBERS" would "SWITCH" from wearing "NECK-TIES" to wearing "BOW-TIES" instead! Although there is much more to the story, including another attempt to kill Minister Troy Cade as well as a lengthy court case, "SIMILAR TO THE REGINALD BROWN COURT CASE THAT HAS COST THE CITY OF MONROE OVER $250,000 DOLLARS, DUE MAINLY TO MAYOR OLIVER ELLIS'S BIG EGO!" Next, there was an incident that occurred in July of 1960, where 5 Negroes were shot, four of them died, and the lone survivor was arrested, while the shooter went free! As the story goes, on July 13, 1960, "APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS AFTER THE MONROE POLICE RAID ON THE NATION of ISLAM TEMPLE IN MONROE, BACK IN MARCH OF 1960,"' Zennie William Fuller, also known as Robert "Shotgun" Fuller,"UNAPOLOGETICALLY SHOT FIVE OF HIS NEGRO EMPLOYEES," killing four on his property on Tichelli Road, near China Grove Baptist Church, located at 201Ockley Dr. in Monroe, near the Garden Park Area. The names of the victims were : Albert Pitts Jr., David Pitts, Alfred Marshall, Earnest McFarland, and Charlie Willis. Of course, Charlie Willis was the lone survivor, who ended up going to jail and prison, because he went to his employer's home to collect his wages. In closing, I would like to add that thanks to Google, I was able to access all of the gruesome details,"INCLUDING A MAP OF WHERE EACH DECEASED BODY WAS RECOVERED!"

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : KATIE TAYLOR FLOOD

Have You all heard about "THE SECRET?" No, I 'm not talking about the book and hit movie by Rhonda Byrne! The secret that I Am referring to is about,"SIXTEEN SECTION LANDS!" When I talk about Sixteen Section Lands being a secret, I mean that many people don't know about something that has been around for decades! As a matter of fact, in August 2024, it was reported that the Ouachita Parish School Board distributed "$291,184" from timber sales on "SIXTEEN SECTION LANDS" in Ouachita Parish, and the revenue was split among eight elementary schools, with each receiving $36,398. Initially, I found out about Sixteen Section Lands when I found out that in the early 1900s,"A NEGRO BY THE NAME OF CHARLIE BALLARD WAS ALLOWED TO MAKE A LEASE-PURCHASE ON LAND IN OUACHITA PARISH THAT WAS KNOWN AS SIXTEEN SECTION LAND." Also, the land later became the subdivision known as Pine Bayou. Additionally, I learned that the practice of State Governments designating land as Sixteen Section Land was "INSTITUTED FOR THE SOLE-PURPOSE OF HELPING LOUISIANA TOWNSHIPS ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS." THEREFORE, SIXTEEN SECTION LANDS IS ESSENTIALLY LAND THAT HAS BEEN PLACED IN A TRUST BY THE STATE AND IS MANAGED BY THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. In closing, I would like to think that something as huge as this would be passed down to not only the students, but to the teachers,educators, and every school faculty member, at every public school in Louisiana! Well, on to this week's Black Pioneer, Katie Taylor Flood. In 1884, Katie Taylor was born to Rubin & Porcitia Taylor, in Monroe, Louisiana. Since farming was still the mainstay for most Negroes in the late 1800s, Katie only attended school 2 to 3 months out of the year. To my pleasant surprise, I learned that Katie's first official school teacher was non-other than "MARY ANN COOK," a local Colored School Teacher, who ran her own local Private School, in Monroe, Louisiana for over 40 years! By the way, her father, saved up enough money to buy a piece of land on Louisville Avenue in Monroe that was located across from the Twin City Shopping Center. As a matter of fact, much of the land around where the old Twin City Mall & old K-MART Store used to be located on Louisville Avenue is said to have been "OWNED BY BLACK PEOPLE IN MONROE!" Well, while I couldn't find out when they were married, I did find out that Katie married a Colored Businessman by the name of Willie Flood. Thanks to some of Willie's shrewd business investments, Katie was able to take care of herself, after he had passed away. Finally, Katie was a faithful, long time member of First Missionary Baptist Church in Monroe, where she progressed from bench member, to Deaconess, to Chairperson of the Mother's Board. The last bit of information that I found on Katie Taylor Flood listed her as "BEING 91 YEARS YOUNG!"

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : CHARLIE BALLARD SR.

"By George, I think she's got it!" Just in case anyone was curious to know where the above expression came from, the expression is said to have originated from a line in the popular musical,"My Fair Lady." Well, on that note, let me inform everyone about a recent action of the Louisiana State Congress involving the "NEW JACK CITY" that was established a couple of years ago, in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which is known as ST. GEORGE. "A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THE LOUISIANA STATE CONGRESS APPROVED A BILL ESTABLISHING THE ST. GEORGE COMMUNITY SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH THE SAME AUTHORITY THAT A PARISH NOW HAS!" Come to find out, the Bill passed,"WITHOUT SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ACTUALLY VOTING FOR OR AGAINST THE BILL!" Truth be told,They simply didn't bother to vote, which is the complete opposite of what they keep telling the Citizens of Louisiana to do when it's time to Vote them into office! On the other hand, it shouldn't come as such a surprise, "BEING THAT 10 YEARS AGO, MEMBERS OF THE LOUISIANA STATE CONGRESS WERE ALLOWED TO GO IN AND CHANGE THEIR VOTE ON A BILL, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THEY HAD VOTED THE OPPOSITE WAY!" Just think, these are the same people who get to decide the education and overall welfare of the Citizens, in all of Louisiana! Now, Ain't that A Biscuit! With that said, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer, Charlie Ballard Sr., who was a land owner in Ouachita Parish. It was reported that Charlie and his family moved to Monroe from North Carolina, sometime between 1888 and 1898. It should interest many citizens in Monroe to know that the land that Charlie purchased in the late 1800s, "JUST HAPPENS TO BE WHERE THE BLACK SUBDIVISION, KNOWN AS PINE BAYOU IS CURRENTLY LOCATED." When Charlie bought the land, it was known as Sixteen Section, and often referred to as Bristle Ridge. Additionally, in 1913, Charlie's son, Ben Ballard married Mattie Brown, possibly from the family of Browns in Richwood, Louisiana. When I say that they bought land, I'm not talking about a measly 4 or 5 acres, the father bought 75 acres and the son bought 185 acres. To help pay the land off, they used a system known as the "HALF HAND," whereby the tenants living on their land would split the crops raised 50/50. Something else that stood out when I read about Charlie Ballard was how he, along with his son and a few other Negroes founded "UNION HILL BAPTIST CHURCH, on Highway 15. Furthermore, the church stands today as a remembrance as well as a Testimony to what our Black Ancestors have been able to accomplish throughout the years!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : FRANK NED BRIDGES

"Whoever wants to educate adults really wants to act as their guardian and prevent them from political activity.The word education has an evil sound in politics; there is a pretense of education, when the real purpose is COERCION without the use of force” -Hannah Arendt's polemical 1958 essay,"The Crisis in Education" Yes, It seems that while many of the people in Louisiana minds were focused on the "slick calculated stunt" that Senator Stewart Cathey pulled off in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when he "SLIPPED A MICKEY" into Senate Bill Amendment 220, at the last minute to deceive other Louisiana Senators and and State Legislators, so that they would Vote in favor of the Bill. "SOMETHING ELSE WITH A MAGNITUDE OF IMPORTANCE WITHIN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, FELL OFF THE RADAR!" What exactly am I talking about you ask? Why, I'm talking about Governor Jeff Landry's new highly touted and anticipated, "LA. GATOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM," of course! Even from the beginning when the La.Gator Scholarship Program "WAS FIRST PUSHED THROUGH AND PASSED," many of the State Senators and State Legislators had already told Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley that there was no way that they could include "the extra $50 Million Dollars" that Governor Landry vehemently wanted in the budget, which began in July of this year. Nevertheless, the Governor still told Brumley to go full steam ahead with their plan to offer thousands of scholarships to Louisiana Students, who were mostly White Students that attended Private Schools in Louisiana. Therefore, in March of this year, Cade Brumley issued the invitation for Louisiana Students to submit their applications for the La.Gator Scholarship Program. Although, it has been rumored that "thousands of White Students had applied for the program," State Legislators were reluctant to move money around to come up with "the extra $50 Million Dollars" that Governor Landry and Superintendent Cade Brumley wanted, in order to fund the La. Gator Scholarship Program for the 2025 - 2026 School Year. So now it looks like students in Louisiana will just have to wait untill the 2026 - 2027 School Year to find out whether or not the Governor can convince more of the members of the Louisiana State Congress to allocate the money that he wants for his flagship program. By the way, on the other hand, $44 Million Dollars was approved and allocated in the budget to pay for 5,600 students who will be attending Private Schools in Louisiana, under a voucher program that was initiated more than a decade ago, by former Governor Bobby Jindal. Now, on to this week's Black Pioneer! Frank Ned Bridges was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 14, 1896. While I couldn't find out anything about Frank's early childhood, I did find out that somehow, he made it all the way to Monroe, Louisiana. Also, I learned that he lived somewhere on Olive Street in Monroe, as a border, in the home of Joseph and Lizzie Johnson, a married Mulatto couple. By the way, Frank worked as a cook at the "Monroe Hotel," similar to the "Hotel Monroe" that recently opened in Monroe. Additionally, Frank was married to a Colored lady by the name of, Bessie Doris West, they were married in the town of Sterlington, Louisiana. Bessie and Frank had two boys, Robert and Dan. As I read about Frank, something that especially stood out was that he had served in the U.S. Military during both World War l and World War ll. During my research, I found out that once he returned home to Monroe, Louisiana from World War ll, Frank and Bessie, along with their two sons, "DECIDED TO TAKE PART IN THE GREAT MIGRATION FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH!" On another note, I think that "EVERY TEACHER and EVERY STUDENT in LOUISIANA" should be taught thoroughly about the "GREAT MIGRATION" as well the circumstances and conditions that triggered it! Well, like Uncle Jed and Ellie Mae Clampett, Frank and Bessie were advised that California was the place where they ought to be, so they loaded up the family and moved to Oakland "OAKTOWN" California. Finally, on June 3, 1966, this proud Black Veteran of World War I & World War ll, and former Cook of the Monroe Hotel, went home to meet his maker! Frank Ned Bridges was buried on June 10 1966, at Golden Gate National Cemetery, in San Bruno, San Mateo County California.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : OLLIE MAE HAMILTON BURNS

Aaaah, Snap," is a common expression that's often used in urban slang, as a reaction to a witty comeback, or a surprising event. However, in this instance, I happen to be referring to the government program known as "SNAP," or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as the "U.S. GOVERNMENT FOOD STAMP PROGRAM." Recently, in several States, in America, there was a "BAN" placed on several food items, under the SNAP PROGRAM that has made "THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM A HOT TOPIC," within the Black Community in Monroe, Louisiana! You see, it's "NO GREAT SECRET" that in 2024, Monroe, Louisiana was "RANKED AS THE #1 STATE in The UNITED STATES" for having the highest percentage of Metro Households living below the poverty line, according to a MYARKLAMISS.COM REPORT. Which means that a great number of Monroe Citizens are "CURRENTLY RECEIVING GOVERNMENT SNAP BENEFITS EACH MONTH." For some odd reason, something lead me to go online and do a search on the SNAP PROGRAM. One of the interesting things that I found out was that recently, President Trump, along with many White Political Leaders,Representatives, and Lawmakers of different States recently "DECIDED TO DO A CRACK DOWN ON FOOD STAMP FRAUD IN AMERICA." Oooooops,it seems that "PEOPLE SELLING FOOD STAMPS & SNAP BENEFITS IS CONSIDERED A FORM OF FRAUD, PUNISHABLE BY LAW!" Also, in many states, "SELLING FOOD STAMPS" IS LEGALLY CONSIDERED "TRAFFICKING," which is also punishable by law! As I dug deeper, I found out that the SNAP FOOD BAN and THE FOOD STAMP CRACK DOWN are both a part of "A FIVE POINT AGENDA, WITHIN PROJECT 2025!" The Five Points include : 1. PLACING BANS ON FOODS THAT CAN BE PURCHASED WITH A SNAP CARD 2. CUTTING THE SNAP BENEFITS OF "OVER 40 MILLION RECIPIENTS," THROUGH CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM 3.FORCE STATES TO MAKE DEEPER CUTS IN SNAP BENEFITS, BY RADICALLY ALTERING SNAP'S FUNDING STRUCTURE 4.END SNAP ELIGIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WHEN PEOPLE GET A RAISE IN PAY OR PUT OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT IN THEIR SAVINGS ACCOUNT 5.EXPANDING WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR VETERANS, HOMELESS PEOPLE, PEOPLE LIVING IN AREAS WITH INSUFFICIENT JOBS, OLDER ADULTS OVER THE AGE OF 50, AND PARENTS WITH SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN!!! By the way, the crazy thing about it is that President Trump, White Politicians, Representatives, and Lawmakers are doing it all "UNDER THE GUISE OF KEEPING PEOPLE FROM EATING SUGARY F youOODS, SO THAT PEOPLE WON'T GET CERTAIN DISEASES! "WELL, AIN'T THAT A BISCUIT!" Enough about all that, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer! Ollie Mae Hamilton Burns was born June 13, 1911, in Ouachita Parish. Ollie attend elementary school at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, on Horseshoe Lake. Yes, many of the first schools for Colored People in Monroe and Ouachita Parish were operated through local churches! Upon graduating, she enrolled at Monroe Colored High School in Monroe. In 1929, Ollie graduated after finishing the 11th grade, because at that time, Monroe Colored High only went up to the 11th grade. After attending Southern University for 2 years, Ollie had to dropout of college for a couple of years.However, because there were few or no laws against teaching without a college degree, Ollie was able to teach and earn money for when she got the opportunity to go back to college. In the meantime, Ollie taught at different schools, in different parishes in Louisiana. Although, she married Rev. Alex Burns and started her family, her fire and desire to attend college never left her! Finally, around 1945, Ollie was able to enroll at Grambling State University, the college where she graduated from in 1947. "It may also interest you to know that in 1957, Ollie became the first Negro in History to ever receive a Master's Degree in Library Science from Louisiana State University!" Furthermore, Ollie went on to become a fine librarian and teacher within the Ouachita Parish School System. Among the list of her many accomplishments included : Her work as a dedicated Church Member & Worker at First Missionary Baptist Church in Monroe, where she wrote the initial proposal for the funding of the "NEW WAY CENTER," as well as served as the Director of the center for 20 years, and her work as librarian at First Missionary Baptist Church; Her work as a member of the Monroe Human Right Council ; Her work in helping start the Ouachita Head Start Program ; and Her work in helping to desegregate schools in Ouachita Parish. Without a doubt, Ollie definitely made an impact within the Black Communities of Monroe, Louisiana, Ouachita Parish, and the State of Louisiana! On February 26, 2004, after over 50 years of toiling and sacrificing to give the future generations of Black People in Monroe and Ouachita Parish a chance of a better life ; thousands of people cried, as Ollie Mae Hamilton Burns laid down and died!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : FORMER MONRO BARBERSHOP OWNER BENNERSON STAMPER

"If Knowledge Can Make A Man Unfit To Be A Slave as Frederick Douglas said, then Research Can Certainly Make A Man Unfit To Be Fooled and Manipulated by Main Stream Media!" -Garry O'Dell Blanson While I was researching online, I came across one of Mayor Oliver Ellis's campaign promises that he made during his first run for Mayor of Monroe, Louisiana, but hasn't been able to keep! In an interview with a local television station in Monroe, he talked about how he learned that many citizens in Monroe felt like White Citizens and Black Citizens were divided as well as the City itself, and that he was going to work hard at fixing the division. No offense to the Mayor, but after "OVER FOUR and A HALF YEARS" of him being in office, Black Citizens and White Citizens in Monroe are "EVEN MORE DIVIDED THAN THEY WERE BEFORE HE TOOK OFFICE!" Not only that, but recently Mayor Ellis took it upon himself to persuade Senator Cathey to amend a bill that essentially transfers the authority to elect a new Fire Marshal from the Monroe City Council to the Governor of Louisiana. It's no wonder that many Black and White Citizens of Monroe view this blatant type of behavior by Mayor Ellis as extremely reprehensible! Additionally, it reminds me of the time during his first term in office, when he tried to move the date and time of a regular Monroe City Council Meeting, so that many Black Citizens could not attend the Council Meeting concerning the Council's Vote "about a stipend to be awarded to his friend, Michael Echols." Furthermore, it seems that now that Black Council Members are beginning to gain more power and authority, the Mayor feels that he needs to undermine their efforts, by any means necessary, including using Louisiana State Senators to introduce and pass bills that totally disrupt the policies and procedures of the Monroe City Council. Well, that's enough about Monroe's egotistical Mayor, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer! Bennerson Stamper was born on August 5, 1935, in Grayson, Louisiana to Frank and Lillie Stamper. After graduating from Union Central High School in Columbia, Louisiana, Bennerson enrolled at Southern University. However, before he was able to graduate, financial circumstances and family concerns led him to take a job working at the Brown Paper Mill in West Monroe, which is now Graphic Packaging. When he wasn't at work, his dad, who was a Barber, would always encourage Bennerson to cut hair on the side. "One day, Bennerson decided that his time was worth more than he was being paid at the paper mill!" Therefore, he decided to quit his job and go to Barber School instead. The Barber College that he chose was Tyler Barber College, which was located in Tyler, Texas. Once he graduated, he began working at Benjamin's Barbershop, which was located on North 6th Street in Monroe. After apprenticing, what many young Black Men in Monroe did before going to college became so popular, Bennerson was able to open his own Barbershop on North 7th Street in Monroe. Later, he went on to open two more Barbershops in Monroe, one at 3310 Renwick Street and another at 3009 Burg Jone Lane, in Monroe. Throughout the 70's, 80, and 90s, Bennerson trained and mentored thousands of aspiring Barbers, including Dawana Collins Foster & Wardell Coward. Finally, Bennerson was a member of the American Legion, a member of the Prince Hall Masons, and a faithful, dedicated member of St.Joseph Missionary Baptist Church, in West Monroe, Louisiana. Sadly, on September 5, 2007, after rendering "50 PLUS YEARS " of service in the Black Community as a Barber, and "OVER 20 YEARS" as a School Bus Driver, Bennerson Stamper took his eternal rest in Heaven!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : COLORED BUSINESS-OWNER T.J.DAVIS,THE DAVIS MARKET, and THE CENTRAL CA'FE

One of the things that makes this week's article extra intriguing is that it's sheds light on 2 Colored-Owned Businesses that opened after Colored Businessman John Robert Patterson Sr., who owned Patterson's Million Article Store and Market that was located at North 18th and Grammont Street in Monroe, Louisiana, closed his businesses and moved to New Orleans, around 1930. Although the exact address of his 2 businesses seem to differ in reports, the thing that's agreed upon is that it was during "THE GREAT DEPRESSION ERA!" The name of the 2 new businesses were,"THE DAVIS MARKET, and THE CENTRAL CA'FE." Both businesses were owned by a young Colored Man by the name of T.J. Davis. Reportedly, T.J. was only 23 years young when he opened his businesses. Another interesting fact is that this was around the time-frame that Maryland Brooks, "THE COLORED CATTLE KING," owned his meat market on Desiard Street, at Young's Bayou, and it was also around the time that Abraham Bowie Sr. owned and operated his restaurant,"Town House," which was located on Desiard Street. Furthermore, it was close to when "THE HISTORIC MILLER-ROY BUILDING WAS BUILT, BACK IN 1929!" Sadly, very little is known about the owner, T.J. Davis, or the businesses that he owned. However, an online article did say that T.J. Davis was a very forward thinking individual to even risk such a venture, during such a desperate time in America as well as in Monroe. By the way, there's a single picture online of The Davis Market, along with mention of the Central Ca'fe. Also, a man by the name of Henry Washington is listed as being the Manager of the Central Ca'fe. Finally, I found out that during the time that his businesses were around, the one and only,LOUIS "SATCHMO" ARMSTRONG came to Monroe, Louisiana to perform in the "FAMOUS SAVOY ROOM," which was housed in the Miller-Roy Building that was recently renovated and reopened as an apartment complex in 2023.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : "THE FORGOTTEN" - Council for United Civil Rights Leadership

l "In Order for Situations to Change for Black People in Monroe, Louisiana, Black People in Monroe, Louisiana Are Going to have to Change" -Garry O'Dell Blanson We'll begin this week's article with a story about an incident that took place, back when I was in elementary school. One day, during the 1970s, at "Swayze Elementary School," while several of the students and I were throwing "friendly mixes on one another" ; mixes are when a group of guys try and catch some guys from another group off guard and hit one another with open palms, just for fun. Well, after I had finished mixing and was trying to get away from the action, J.J. grab my arm and I accidentally hit my head up against the boys bathroom wall. It hurt, but I was still trying to get away from J.J.'s grasp. Suddenly, he let go of my arm and put his hand on my head and said, "man you're bleeding!" You better believe that got my attention! I placed my hand on my head and sure enough, I saw a hand full of blood. The guys told some of the teachers about my head bleeding.Next, the teachers led me all the way down the main hall to where we washed out hands, before eating in the school cafeteria. Fortunately, for me on that day, there was an off-duty Monroe Police Officer by the name of Richard L Jackson,"who was also the director of the SOUTHSIDE BOY'S CLUB in MONROE that was ran out of the Swayze School Gymnasium." Officer Jackson turned on the cold water and told me to put my head under the faucet. Also, he applied pressure to where the blood was leaking out of my head, and after about 10 or 20 minutes, the bleeding had stopped. The hole in my head was actually large enough for me to stick my finger in the wound! By the way, I got to go home early, but our principal, Charles H. Johnson told me that there was to be no more mixing going on, while we were at school. With that said, I would like to share a little information about "The Forgotten Council For United Civil Rights Leadership." Surprisingly, it was President John F. Kennedy who encouraged and helped organize the main funding for the organization. It was often called an "UMBRELLA GROUP," because it consisted of 6 of the most influential Black Organizations in the United States. The main Black Organizations involved were: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, headed by Martin Luther King Jr ; The National Association For The Advancement of Colored People,led by Roy Wilkins ; The National Urban League, led by Whitney Young ; The National Council of Negro Women, headed by Dorothy Height ; The Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, led by James Forman and John Lewis ; and The Congress of Racial Equality headed by James Farmer, and advised by Bayard Rustin. By the way, it was only five months after the forming of The Council For United Civil Rights Leadership that "U.S. CITIZENS AND THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD" witnessed the gruesome assassination and death of President John F Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963! Amazingly, one of the good things that resulted from the formation of the group was that many White Owned Corporations, including the Rockefeller & Ford foundations, agreed to provide funding for the organization. At a fundraising event, held on "JUNE 19TH, in 1963, at a hotel in New York, representatives from 96 Corporations were successful in raising "approximately $800,000 dollars" that was later divided amongst the Black Groups in The Council For United Civil Rights Leadership Organization. However, on the other hand, once the Black Leaders of these Black Organizations agreed to accept the money from the American White-owned Corporations, the Civil Rights Groups and the Civil Rights Movement itself experienced more and more regulations and restrictions from outside sources. Nevertheless, the organization was instrumental in helping organize and funding the Historic March On Washington, in August of 1963. Finally, it was rumored that it was lack of adequate funding, along with disagreements and several conflicts between the Black Leaders of the organization, which ultimately led to the dissolvement of the short-lived organization that was known as,"The Council For United Civil Rights Leadership Organization, in January of 1967."