"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" DOROTHY BELL-GUNDY WASHINGTON

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" "If there is no struggle, there is no progress” - Frederick Douglass Just in case you missed it, this past Friday, February 28, 2025, which was the final day of Black History Month, a call went out for "A 24 HOUR NATIONAL ECONOMIC BLACKOUT!" Although, people of all races could participate in the Blackout, Black People, in general, were strongly encouraged to take part in the 24 Hour Economic Protest! On February 28, 2025, from 12:01 am - 11:59 pm, participants were to refrain from spending any money at Walmart, Target, Amazon, McDonald's, and other Non-Black Businesses. The main point of the Blackout was to send an "ECONOMIC MESSAGE" to corporations and businesses in America that "BLACK PEOPLE and OUR BLACK DOLLARS MATTER!" I hope that many of the citizens in Monroe were able to take part in this worthy cause. With that being said, on to this week's Black Pioneer! Dorothy Bell-Gundy Washington was born in Rayville, Louisiana on May 20, 1928. As a child, Dorothy attended Rayville Colored High School, in Rayville, Louisiana. Upon graduation from high school, she enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Along with Fisk University, Dorothy attended several other Universities including Tuskegee, Grambling, and Northeast La. University where she received her Master's degree in 1967. Also she was one of the first Black students to ever graduate from NLU. In 1949, Dorothy relocated to Bastrop, Louisiana to take a teaching position at The Morehouse Parish Training School, where Henry V. Adams served as principal. At Morehouse, She was employed as a Mathematics and Physical Education Teacher. One of the main highlights of her tenure at the school was in 1976, when she and other members of "Place' Aux Dames Civic and Social Club" produced a school memory book called "The Tiger." The book was a pictorial and historical accounting of the Morehouse School from 1916, up until it's closing in 1969. After the closing of Morehouse, Dorothy was able to transfer to the school that became Bastrop Junior High School East, as a Physical Education teacher. Along with all her other activities, Dorothy was actively involved in her family's businesses, The Progressive Burial Insurance Company and Sims and GUNDY Funeral Home Company. In addition to serving as a member of the Board of Directors, throughout the year, she personally made visits to the Branch Offices in Rayville, Monroe, and Tallulah. Finally, a few of her other accomplishments included ; being a founding member of The Place' Aux Dames Civic and Social Club ; "1961 and 1962 Morehouse Parish Training School AA Championship Tennis Coach" ; and Host of the KTRY FM/AM radio show,"Harambee," in 1983 - 1984. Sadly, on Friday, July 22, 2016, after several decades of dedicated service in Morehouse Parish, Dorothy Bell-Gundy Washington went home to glory.

'OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" THE FORGOTTEN 1953 BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA BUS BOYCOTT

While many Black Youth in Monroe, Louisiana are familiar with the famous Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott that was called for by Martin Luther King Jr. and other Black Leaders on December 5, 1955, the Monday after a Black Lady by the name of Rosa Parks was arrested for her refusal to give up her seat to a White person on a public bus, many Black Students are surprised to find out that the bus boycott in Montgomery was modeled after a previous bus boycott which took place "almost two and half years earlier," right here in the State of Louisiana! "The Louisiana Bus Boycott of 1953" officially started on June 19, 1953, and lasted to June 25, 1953. While the boycott only lasted a week, it still serves as a reminder of how Black People in Louisiana were able to unite, organize, and take a stand back in 1953. Well, there were quite a few events that occurred leading up to the bus boycott in Baton Rouge. First, there was a law that was passed by the Louisiana State Legislature in 1950 that prohibited Black People from owning private buses that operated separately from the city bus system in Baton Rouge.Therefore, many Blacks felt like they had no other option than to ride the city buses to get where they needed to go. Also, even though Blacks accounted for over 70% of the ridership of each bus, over half of the seats on each bus were reserved for WHITE riders. Many times Blacks would have to stand in the back of the bus, even though their were plenty of seats available in the front of the bus, in the section designated for White riders. Next, in January of 1953, City officials decided to raise the amount of the bus fares, but still required BLACKS to sit in the back section of the city buses. By February of 1953, a Black preacher by the name of "Dr. T.J. Jemison of Mt. Zion Baptist Church was so upset about the situation that he went before the Baton Rouge City council and voiced his frustrations." In order to pacify Rev. Jemison and the BLACK riders of the city buses, the city council enacted what was known as,"ORDINANCE 222." The ordinance eased tension a bit by changing the seating requirements to "A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE ARRANGEMENT," meaning that Blacks could now sit in part of the seating section that was formerly reserved for "WHITES ONLY!" Oh, but White People still had first choice to the first rows of seats of the city buses,"but Black People no longer had to stand while there were so many empty seats toward the front of the city buses." By the way, on June 15, 1953,there was a Black housekeeper by the name Martha White who was tired from having to walk several miles to the bus stop, to catch the morning bus. After paying her fare and boarding the bus she noticed that the only available seat was in one of the front seats of the city bus, amongst the WHITE riders! After catching her breath, she started to get up and move to the back of the bus, but then she sat back down. Anyway, the White bus driver wasn't having none of that, and started to up her out of her seat! Before everything was all over, Rev. Jemison showed up and convinced the White bus driver not to have Martha and another BLACK lady arrested, by stating that under Ordinance 222, Martha should have been allowed to sit where she sat. However, the White bus driver was able to kick Martha and the other Black lady off the bus. Evidently, the two Black ladies being kicked off the bus didn't sit well with the Black Community in Baton Rouge, because several of them, including Rev. Jemison, deliberately started sitting at the front of city buses. Finally, after a White bus driver got suspended for not enforcing Ordinance 222, the Bus Driver's Union of over 100 members staged a walkout, on June 15, 1953. Never-the-less, following Louisiana Attorney General, Fred Leblanc's ruling that Ordinance 222 was unconstitutional, the Union Members ended their walkout, on June 18, 1953. The very next day, on June 19, 1953, Rev. Jemison and the other Black Leaders in Baton Rouge decided to begin a boycott of the city buses in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In closing, I can't help but point out how sad it is that after all these years, Black People are again having to resort to boycotting Corporations such as "Target, Walmart, McDonald's, and Pepsi-Cola," in order to be taken seriously!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE' : LUTHER P. JACKSON

As Black History Month for February 2025 heads along pass the halfway point, I would like to mention two significant things that have taken place thus far in Louisiana, during the current Black History Month. The first one is the "boycott of 3 of the larger Corporations in Louisiana, Walmart, Target, and McDonald's!" The boycotts stems from "the decision of the 3 Corporations to rollback their Company Diversity Programs." Reportedly, Civil Rights Activist as far away as Minneapolis, Minnesota have called for "A National Boycott of Target stores, over its decision to phase out its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives." By the way, the second event took place at one of the most popular events of the year! It was one of the highest anticipated events of the year,"The Annual NFL Superbowl Halftime Show that was held in New Orleans, Louisiana." All I can say is that I don't believe any of the NFL Owners or President Donald Trump, who was also in attendance at the NFL Superbowl Halftime Show, ever expected the type of show that Kendrick Lamar and Company gave them. Also, the coded messages throughout the entire performance even had some Black People saying,"Wow, did we just see what we just saw!" Well, we will just have to wait and see what the fallout from these two events will bring. In the meantime, on to this week's Black Pioneer! Luther P. Jackson was born on July 11, 1892, in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1910, after graduating from Chandler Normal School in Lexington, he enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1914, Luther received his bachelor's degree in Education from Fisk University, and later received his master's degree in Education from Columbia University's Teachers College in 1922. Luther's teaching career took him from Denmark, South Carolina and Topeka, Kansas, all the way to Virginia. However, in 1928, he decided to enroll at the University of Chicago to earn his PhD degree in Education. Along with acquiring a PhD degree, Luther ended up becoming a professor of history at the college. Eventually, he would serve two entire decades as chairperson of the University's Social Sciences Department. Outside of his vocation as an Educator, Luther was actively involved in the fight for civil rights for Negroes in Virginia. In 1935, he was one of the founding members of "The Petersburg League of Negro Voters." Additionally, in 1937, he helped found "The Petersburg Negro Business Association," which allowed him to work with attorneys Thurgood Marshall and Oliver Hill, in the negotiations to equalize the salaries of Black and White teachers. Finally, he was a very close friend of Carter G. Woodson. They were so close that they both died of a heart attack, in the same month and year, within days of each other. Carter having died on April 3, 1950 and Luther dying on April 20, 1950. Since his death, Luther Porter Middle School, in Surry County, Virginia was named to honor him, and The Luther Porter Jackson Black Cultural Center at the University of Virginia was named in his honor as well. "OUR

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE": CARTER G. WOODSON, "THE FATHER of BLACK HISTORY MONTH"

Since it happens to be "BLACK HISTORY MONTH," I thought it would be fitting to inform everyone about the Black man who is widely known as "THE FATHER of BLACK HISTORY MONTH" that arose from the celebration of "BLACK HISTORY WEEK" in America. Of course, I Am speaking of the Negro Historian, the fabulous founder of The Association For The Study of Negro Life and History, and the 2nd Negro to receive a doctorate degree from Harvard University, Mr. Carter G. Woodson! Although Black History Month is celebrated in America every year during the month of February, many Black People in Louisiana aren't aware that the main reason Carter decided to hold the first celebration of Black History Week in February was in connection with Frederick Douglass's birthday on February 14 and President Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12, because the achievements of both of these men were already being celebrated in America. Additionally, it was reported that in 1924, two years before he started Negro History Week, he reached out to his college fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, which helped him establish Negro History and Literature Week. During this time, National Negro Health Week was growing. Therefore, in 1926, Carter decided that the timing was right to kickoff a campaign for Negro History Week. So on February 7, 1926, he sent out a press release announcing the first official celebration of Negro History Week! Well, Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. Due mainly to having to help out on his family's farm, Carter was late entering High school. Never-the-less, he was able to complete his requirements for graduating in just 2 years! Later, he attended Berea College in Kentucky, and received his bachelor's degree in 1903. After graduating he accepted a position as Education Superintendent for the U.S. Government, in the Philippines. Between 1906 and 1912, not only did Carter earn his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Chicago," but he also earned his PhD from Harvard University as well!" In 1915, he traveled to Chicago to attend The National Exposition of Negro Progress, an event held to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Emancipation. This event inspired Carter to found The Association For The Study of Negro Life and History. It wasn't long before schools and other Negro organizations across the country began celebrating Negro History Week. As early as 1940, and after his death from a heart attack in 1950, many Black People felt that the week celebration should be extended to a month. Finally, in 1976," on the 50th Anniversary of the first Negro History Week," the transition to Black History Month officially went into effect. In closing, I would like to list a few of the books that he wrote during his lifetime : 1. The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861, 2.A Century of Negro Migration, 3. The Negro in Our History, 4. The Negro Professional Man and The Community, and 5. "The Miseducation of The Negro," which is now A Negro Classic!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : "NATIONAL NEGRO HEALTH WEEK" - Black America's Longest Recorded Health Movement, between 1915 - 1951

"A People without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots!" -Marcus Mosiah Garvey It would be remiss to speak about The celebration of "BLACK HISTORY MONTH" in America without mentioning "Booker T. Washington" and "NATIONAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT WEEK," which later became known as "NATIONAL NEGRO HEALTH WEEK!" You see, not too long before his untimely death in November of 1915, Booker T. Washington launched the National Health Improvement Week, in response to Tuskegee Committee Reports regarding the declining health of Negroes in America. With that said, I find it extremely puzzling that while most Black Youth at the schools in our Black neighborhoods, in Monroe, Louisiana have heard much about the highly publicized "Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s,"very few of them know anything at all about "BLACK AMERICA'S LONGEST RECORDED HEALTH MOVEMENT IN AMERICA," during the time period from 1915, up until 1951! When Booker T. Washington started his health program to help raise the consciousness of Negroes regarding health, who knew that it would be the start of "A Nation-Wide Negro Health Movement" that would continue over three entire decades!" When the program began, it was duly noted in a Negro Newspaper that “Never before was there such a widespread co-operation of the races in a movement for the general good of Negroes in America." Additionally, the newspaper reported that there was astonishing support from the health departments in all of the Southern States. Furthermore, people of all races, classes, and all religious backgrounds supported Booker T. Washington's efforts to improve and extend the lives of Negroes. Interestingly, it was reported that between it's inception in 1915 and 1930, the program grew from a few hundred participants to "OVER 1 MILLION PARTICIPANTS!" In 1930, approximately 31 states had at least one community to participate in National Negro Health Week. Finally, it was reported that between the 1920s and when National Negro Health Week officially ended in 1951, not only was there a substantial increase in the health of Negro parents and their children, but among other things, "the life expectantly of Negroes increased at a greater rate than that of White Americans." In closing, all I can say is "DEJA'VU!" I said that to say this ; it's awful strange that some of the very same reasons that were used back in 1951 to end the Celebration of National Negro Health Week, are now being introduced by certain people as reasons to try and end the "CELEBRATION of BLACK HISTORY MONTH" TODAY!