"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE : ORETHA D. ROBINSON & PATRICK H. ROBINSON "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" – George Santayana It appears that along with the resurgence of Jim Crow Laws in Louisiana, certain groups around Louisiana are returning to the practice of using "THE TOKEN NEGRO" to mislead Black People into believing that Racism is decreasing. You see, most younger Black People aren't aware that "in the late 1960s and early 1970s," there were cartoons & caricatures that depicted the Negroes who were chosen to serve in "TOKEN ROLES" where they were only given those positions to create a sense of inclusion. In other words some Black People were given high ranking positions,"similar to what is happening today," to make it appear that racism is no longer a problem in the workplace. Yes, this trend can be seen all over the United States, and especially in Louisiana. It's like more and more of our Black elected officials and Black leaders in Louisiana are more than happy to accept being used as "A GOOD OLE TOKEN NEGRO," especially when there's money and power involved! Well, I can surely see why George Santayana would say what he said about people being condemned to repeat the past. With that said, let's get on with this week's Black Pioneers. It's extremely puzzling to me that there is hardly any online information about this week's two Black Pioneers, Oretha D. Robinson & her husband Patrick H. Robinson. Well, you would think that considering their lifetime civic involvement and social status within the Black Communities of Monroe, Louisiana, there would be way more information about them online, especially since they spent most of their adult lives helping make sure that the needs of the Black Citizens of Monroe, Louisiana were being met. Oretha D. Robinson was born on October 6, 1931, to Maude Gipson and Robert Douglas. She died earlier this year on January 20, 2024, while her husband, Patrick H. Robinson was born on June 27, 1924, and died on April 25, 1994. Not only were both of them astute Educators, but both were active in the Black Community as well. In 2017, it was fitting that the library at Robinson Elementary School in Monroe, Louisiana was renamed to honor the legacy of Patrick H. Robinson. In closing, I must say that I am totally flabbergasted that We As "Black Citizens of Monroe, Louisiana" aren't recording and passing down more information about the achievements & accomplishments of our leading citizens like Oretha D. Robinson and Patrick H. Robinson "to the current generations of Black People living in Monroe!" Additionally, I feel that Black People in Monroe must continue working to "BE BETTER," in order that We and our Black Children might do better and have better!

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" – George Santayana It appears that along with the resurgence of Jim Crow Laws in Louisiana, certain groups around Louisiana are returning to the practice of using "THE TOKEN NEGRO" to mislead Black People into believing that Racism is decreasing. You see, most younger Black People aren't aware that "in the late 1960s and early 1970s," there were cartoons & caricatures that depicted the Negroes who were chosen to serve in "TOKEN ROLES" where they were only given those positions to create a sense of inclusion. In other words some Black People were given high ranking positions,"similar to what is happening today," to make it appear that racism is no longer a problem in the workplace. Yes, this trend can be seen all over the United States, and especially in Louisiana. It's like more and more of our Black elected officials and Bla"ck leaders in Louisiana are more than happy to accept being used as "A GOOD OLE TOKEN NEGRO," especially when there's money and power involved! Well, I can surely see why George Santayana would say what he said about people being condemned to repeat the past. With that said, let's get on with this week's Black Pioneers. It's extremely puzzling to me that there is hardly any online information about this week's two Black Pioneers, Oretha D. Robinson & her husband Patrick H. Robinson. Well, you would think that considering their lifetime civic involvement and social status within the Black Communities of Monroe, Louisiana, there would be way more information about them online, especially since they spent most of their adult lives helping make sure that the needs of the Black Citizens of Monroe, Louisiana were being met. Oretha D. Robinson was born on October 6, 1931, to Maude Gipson and Robert Douglas. She died earlier this year on January 20, 2024, while her husband, Patrick H. Robinson was born on June 27, 1924, and died on April 25, 1994. Not only were both of them astute Educators, but both were active in the Black Community as well. In 2017, it was fitting that the library at Robinson Elementary School in Monroe, Louisiana was renamed to honor the legacy of Patrick H. Robinson. In closing, I must say that I am totally flabbergasted that We As "Black Citizens of Monroe, Louisiana" aren't recording and passing down more information about the achievements & accomplishments of our leading citizens like Oretha D. Robinson and Patrick H. Robinson "to the current generations of Black People living in Monroe!" Additionally, I feel that Black People in Monroe must continue working to "BE BETTER," in order that We and our Black Children might do better and have better!

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE"" : DR. FELTON GRANDISON CLARK

"Underneath the different colors of our skin, People are far more alike than they are different" -Lisa Nichols Wouldn't It Be Nice If Race Didn't Matter? This question reminds me of a forgotten Louisiana court case that was filed in 1982, by a lady who had identified herself as being "A MARRIED WHITE FEMALE," but her birth certificate listed her as being "A BLACK FEMALE!" The lady's name is Susie Guillory Phipps of Sulphur, Louisiana. Back in 1982, after the case drew national attention, the Louisiana Congress, and then Governor David C. Treen decided to take a hard look at "the age old Louisiana Statute" that used a mathematical formula, similar to "THE ONE-DROP RULE," also known as "ONE DROP OF BLACK BLOOD RULE," that many of the southern states had used to determine if a person was deemed as being "Legally Black." You see, Mrs. Phipps birth certificate listed her as being the great, great, great,great grand-daughter of a "COLORED FEMALE SLAVE," and a French planter. You see, according to the "segregated laws" that were in place, during the time she was born, if the baby's mother was documented as being COLORED, then the baby was listed and considered COLORED too! Therefore, officials for the State of Louisiana refused to change Mrs. Phipps Race on her birth certificate, which led to her having to pay thousands of dollars to try and have her "RACE" Changed on her birth certificate! In the end, Governor David C. Treen and the State of Louisiana repealed the long-term Louisiana Statute, in 1983. Now, because of the repeal of that law, people in Louisiana are allowed to change their birth records by providing "a preponderance of evidence" to prove the record was wrong. Ok, let's get to this week's Black Pioneer. Felton Grandison Clark was born on October 13, 1903, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Joseph S. Clark and Octavia Head Clark. When it came time for Felton to attend college, there was no doubt that he would be attending Southern University! After graduating from Southern, Felton completed his undergraduate work at Beloit College. In 1922, he earned his bachelor's degree from Beloit, and then went on to earn his Master's degree & his PhD from Columbia University. Well, in 1938, Felton decided to take on the daunting task of following in his father's footsteps, and became the next President of Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the position that his father had held for more than 20 years! From 1938, up until 1969, Felton was President of Southern University. During his tenure, enrollment of students at Southern increased from about 1,500 to over 11,000. Many people have said that the enrollment would have been significantly larger had it not been for the incidents that took place during the Civil Rights Protests of the 1960s, especially the demonstration that took place at the doorsteps of the Louisiana State Capitol. In 1960, Felton and other school officials ended up giving in to pressure from Governor Earl Long," and expelled 18 of the Southern University students who had participated in the protests." On top of everything else, in 1962,"they actually had to shutdown Southern University for a short period of time," because students at Southern University held a large demonstration on the campus of Southern University. The students were determined to exercise their right to protest! So, about a year after retiring as President of Southern University, Dr. Felton Grandison Clark died on July 5, 1970. When it came time to bury him, there was no doubt that he would be buried next to his mother and father on the campus of Southern University!!! In 1975, officials at Southern University honored him by naming a newly built building in his honor, the F.G.Clark Center. Additionally, a dormitory on the Southern University campus named Felton Grandison Clark Hall, informally called Grandison Hall, is named in his honor.

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : ALICE MARIE THOMPSON

"Don’t be afraid of being an agitator, because every housewife knows the value of an agitator ; an agitator is the instrument in the washing machine which bangs the clothes around and gets rid of all the dirt" - Thurgood Marshall Recently, while I was researching, I came across an article about an event that probably helped influence Black Leaders in Monroe, Louisiana to agree to turn Martin Luther King Jr. around at the Monroe Airport, the time he came to speak in Monroe.The article was about an event known as "THE PLAQUEMINE RIOT." Not only did this shocking and horrific incident coinside with the "HISTORIC MARCH ON WASHINGTON," but it actually aired nationally on the evening news with Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, back in September of 1963, "ONLY DAYS AFTER THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON!" Well Reportedly, some of the Negro leaders in Plaquemine had requested James Farmer, the founder of "The Congress of Racial Equality," to come and help organize "A VOTING REGISTRATION DRIVE." You see, there had recently been a 'VOTER PURGE" in Plaquemine, causing many of the Negroes to be stripped of their "VOTING PRIVILEGES." Also, there was a strong concern that WHITE officials were "GERRYMANDERING" Black precincts out of city elections. At first, James Farmer had planned to make a short trip to Plaquemine, and then travel on to Washington D.C. for the March On Washington. However, the police in Plaquemine had other plans for him! The police decided to arrest him and several other Negroes, and hold them at a jail in Donaldsoville, Louisiana, until the March was over. Once he was released, seeing that he had already missed attending the March On Washington, James Farmer decided to lead another March in Plaquemine. Long story short, the police and other White Citizens in Plaquemine chased James Farmer and the Marchers to the Plymouth Rock Baptist Church, tear-gased the people in the church, and stormed the church on horses, armed with guns and cattle prods. All of a sudden, in the midst of the chaos and mayhem, James Farmer escaped out the back of the church to "The Good Citizen Funeral Home," located next to the church! Wow, just when it looked like they were going to have to turn James Farmer over to the police, the Negro lady who owned the funeral home came up with one hell of a plan! She decided to send out two hearse cars at the same time, but they would go in two different directions. So after she handed James Farmer "a loaded 45 caliber pistol," they had him get into a coffin, loaded him into one of the hearse cars, and sent out both hearses at the same time! The police didn't even realize that James Farmer was in one of the hearses. The driver drove him to New Orleans, Louisiana where he held a press conference about it the next day. Ok, let's fast-forward to August 2024, as we prepare for the November Elections. Despite the passing of "More Than 60 Years," the very same 2 main concerns that were at the center of The Plaquemine Riot,"Removing Black Voters from the Voting Rolls and Gerrymandering" are still with us today, even after all those years!!! With that being said, I'll just switch the conversation to this week's Black Pioneer. Alice Marie Thompson was born on September 25, 1939 in Lake Providence , Louisiana. She graduated from Southern University in New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. While Alice was no Lady Godiva, she was a "FREEDOM RIDER!" Rarely do you hear about 3 Black biological sisters joining 2 separate Black Organizations at the same time However, that is exactly what the Thompson sisters, Alice, Jean, and Shirley did in the early 1960s when they all joined the New Orleans Chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality and the Youth Council of the New Orleans Branch of the NAACP. As I mentioned earlier, Alice was A Freedom Rider with the C.O.R.E. Organization. The Freedom Riders main task was to test the passage of the Interstate Commerce Commission’s ruling outlawing segregation on buses, terminals, restrooms, restaurants. By the way, here are 3 of the more notable Freedom Rides that Alice took part in : The first one that occurred on November 1, 1961, at the New Orleans Trailways Bus Terminal, located on Tulane Avenue, the one that took place on November 14, 1961, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the one where Alice and other CORE members were physically beaten, in McComb, Mississippi on November 29, 1961. After 30 years or more of blazing a trail for future generations of Black People in America, Alice Marie Thompson died on August 24, 2015. In closing, I truly wish that teachers at the schools in our Black Communities were allowed to fully discuss the "Negro Freedom Rides and the Freedom Riders" with our Black Children. You see, I feel that they would better understand what The Civil Rights Movement was all about, and gain a greater appreciation for "OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE!"

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : JOHN J. NEIMORE

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

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : CLEVE MORMON

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

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

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

"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" HENDERSON H. DUNN

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