OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE : UNION BAPTIST HIGH/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR NEGRO CHILDREN IN MONROE, LOUISIANA IN THE 1950s

 

"THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT" – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905 It's amazing how not being born during a certain era can keep Black People in Monroe, Louisiana from knowing things that are in plain sight. Take for instance,The Neville Jr. High School that was once named, "ROBERT E. LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL." Well, I discovered that back in the 1950s, "THERE  USED TO BE A SCHOOL IN MONROE FOR NEGRO CHILDREN CALLED, UNION BAPTIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WAS LOCATED AT THE SAME LOCATION AS THE CURRENT NEVILLE JR. HIGH SCHOOL!" Last year, I discovered that an unknown School for Negro Children use to be located in Monroe,"NEAR A LITTLE KNOWN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD NAMED, BRIGHT OAK." Well, the name of the unknown School turned out to be,"UNION BAPTIST HIGH/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL." Naturally, I went and Googled Union School for Negroes in Monroe, Louisiana, and clicked on one of the  links that pulled up. By the way, the link took me to a site where there was a map showing where Union  School used to be located in Monroe. Low and behold, it was exactly where "ROBERT E. LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL," which is currently Neville Jr. High School, was located in Monroe...my oh my!!! You see, within a few decades, Black and White Citizens in Monroe and West Monroe had all but forgotten that "UNION BAPTIST HIGH SCHOOL" FOR NEGRO CHILDREN" had ever existed in Monroe! Well, ain't that a biscuit??? In closing,      I would like to challenge all Black Families living in Monroe and West Monroe to start taking time out to learn more about their family history in Monroe and West Monroe as well as the local "BLACK HISTORY" that transpired locally, such as the gruesome lynching of a Colored Man that took place in front of the "COLORED KNIGHTS of PYTHIAS MEETING HALL BUILDING, "AT 1101 DESIARD STREET IN MONROE ; the lynching of over 200 Black People in front of St. Frances Hospital ; the bodies of Negroes that were tossed into the Ouachita River by the "KLU KLUX KLAN" and other White Citizens of Monroe ; and the Delta Ouachita Vocational Training School that used to located next to Carroll High School, on Desiard Street in Monroe. Finally, I would like to say, just because Governor Jeff Landry has banned the teaching of "CRITICAL RACE THEORY" at the Schools in Our Black Communities, doesn't mean that we can't teach it in Our Black homes, churches, and Communities in Monroe!

Show quoted text

OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE : UNION BAPTIST HIGH/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR NEGRO CHILDREN IN MONROE, LOUISIANA IN THE 1950s EDWIN TAYLOR, "THE FIRST COLORED MAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AFTER THE ABOLISHMENT OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA

"THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT" – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905 It's amazing how not being born during a certain era can keep Black People in Monroe, Louisiana from knowing things that are in plain sight. Take for instance,The Neville Jr. High School that was once named, "ROBERT E. LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL." Well, I discovered that back in the 1950s, "THERE  USED TO BE A SCHOOL IN MONROE FOR NEGRO CHILDREN CALLED, UNION BAPTIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WAS LOCATED AT THE SAME LOCATION AS THE CURRENT NEVILLE JR. HIGH SCHOOL!" Last year, I discovered that an unknown School for Negro Children use to be located in Monroe,"NEAR A LITTLE KNOWN NEGRO NEIGHBORHOOD NAMED, BRIGHT OAK." Well, the name of the unknown School turned out to be,"UNION BAPTIST HIGH/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL." Naturally, I went and Googled Union School for Negroes in Monroe, Louisiana, and clicked on one of the  links that pulled up. By the way, the link took me to a site where there was a map showing where Union  School used to be located in Monroe. Low and behold, it was exactly where "ROBERT E. LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL," which is currently Neville Jr. High School, was located in Monroe...my oh my!!! You see, within a few decades, Black and White Citizens in Monroe and West Monroe had all but forgotten that "UNION BAPTIST HIGH SCHOOL" FOR NEGRO CHILDREN" had ever existed in Monroe! Well, ain't that a biscuit??? In closing,      I would like to challenge all Black Families living in Monroe and West Monroe to start taking time out to learn more about their family history in Monroe and West Monroe as well as the local "BLACK HISTORY" that transpired locally, such as the gruesome lynching of a Colored Man that took place in front of the "COLORED KNIGHTS of PYTHIAS MEETING HALL BUILDING, "AT 1101 DESIARD STREET IN MONROE ; the lynching of over 200 Black People in front of St. Frances Hospital ; the bodies of Negroes that were tossed into the Ouachita River by the "KLU KLUX KLAN" and other White Citizens of Monroe ; and the Delta Ouachita Vocational Training School that used to located next to Carroll High School, on Desiard Street in Monroe. Finally, I would like to say, just because Governor Jeff Landry has banned the teaching of "CRITICAL RACE THEORY" at the Schools in Our Black Communities, doesn't mean that we can't teach it in Our Black homes, churches, and Communities in Monroe!

Show quoted text

OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE : RICHARD "DICK" TURNLEY JR., "The First Black To Be Elected To The Louisiana State House Of Representatives, After Colored People Were first Disenfranchised From Politics In Louisiana, In 1878"

 

                                                                              "WHEN YOU CHECK THE RECORD,YOU WILL SEE THAT IT WAS THE WHITE U.S. CONGRESSMEMBERS and WHITE STATE CONGRESSMEMBERS WHO MADE DISCRIMINATION LAWS, SYSTEMATIC RACISM LAWS, BLACK CODES, JIM CROW LAWS, AND SLAVERY LEGAL IN AMERICA!"                                                                              Well, in the past couple of weeks in Louisiana, the White  Members of the Louisiana State Congress are once again showing just how White they can be! Of course I am referring to two of the recent Bills that were being considered to be voted on. One of the Bills was SB 65, which addresses the conversion of existing public schools into charter schools, and the other Bill is SB 256, which will consolidate the Orleans Parish Criminal and Civil Court clerks' offices, and eliminate the office of a recently elected Black Man named Calvin Duncan, who was just sworn into office on last week! So far, SB 65, a Bill that was sponsored by a "Disturbed White Louisiana Senator" by the name Stewart Cathey, was  returned to the calendar, "SUBJECT TO CALL," meaning it is not currently moving forward but could be brought back up for a Vote later. However, SB 256, a Bill authored by another "Disturbed White Senator," by the name  of John "Jay" Morris was passed by the Senate and could soon be signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry. Once again, time and space prevents me from going into details about how these 2 Louisiana Senate Bills "REEK WITH THE DISTINCT SMELL OF BIGOTRY AND RACISM," but I will say that I am not a bit surprised that "THINGS HAVE ONCE AGAIN GONE SOUTH!" Now that I have gotten that off my chest, on to this week's Black Pioneer, Richard Turnley Jr.! Richard grew up in Plaquemine, Louisiana. While I couldn't find any information about his early education, one article said that he graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge, and was a strong supporter of the University. "IN 1976, RICHARD MADE HISTORY WHEN HE BECAME THE FIRST BLACK PERSON IN LOUISIANA TO BE ELECTED TO THE LOUISIANA STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SINCE 1878, AFTER THE COLORED PEOPLE WERE DISENFRANCHISED FROM POLITICS IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA!" By the way, several  Other interesting things about Richard included : in 1976, Richard was one of the founders of The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucas ; in the 1970s, Richard established a food cooperative business in Louisiana ; Richard was instrumental in the founding of the Southern Teachers and Parents Federal Credit Union, The Largest HBCU Credit Union In The Nation ; Richard served 3 consecutive terms in the Louisiana State House of Representatives ; and in 1984, Richard was elected to serve in The Louisiana State Senate.These are just a few of the many things that Richard was able to accomplish during his lifetime. Sadly, on January 19, 2013, Richard Turnley Jr. went home to be with the Lord. NOTE : Richard 's daughter, Tamara Turnley Robinson, is a former President of the Jack and Jill Incorporated Organization.