"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!"