“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” - JOHN WESLEY CROMWELL

 Known for his natural ability for creating intellectual organisations and his knowledge of Negro History, John Wesley Cromwell was a  teacher, journalist lawyer, teacher, and civil rights activist. He was born on September 5,1846. Several of his other list of accolades included being one of founders of The Bethel Literary & Historical Society and The American Negro Academy( in Washington D.C.). Being a man in demand, he was also founder, editor, or contributor to a number of newspapers and journals{ including most prominently, “The People’s Advocate.” } Later in his life, John Wesley Cromwell was a strong advocate of black-owned businesses and encouraged black economic success. Additionally, He thought that Blacks should stick together and support Black businesses. He wrote a interesting book in 1914 titled,”The Negro in American History: Men and Women Eminent in the Evolution of the American of African Descent.” His book influenced Carter G Woodson to create The Association for the Study  of Negro Life and History in 1915. John Wesley Cromwell died  on April 14, 1927[ in Washington D.C. ]. Lately, In Monroe, Louisiana there has been much talk and discussion concerning economic development. While Mayor Oliver Ellis has been fervently pushing the Northside’s plan for economic development, The Southside Economic Development District (S.E.D.D.) has come up with a 25 year plan for the economic development of the “SOUTHSIDE” of Monroe. Somehow, Mayor Ellis keeps failing to understand that the Black citizens of Monroe would like see improvements on their side of town too( not just downtown)! As a matter of fact, not only doesn’t Mayor Ellis get it,  the Black members of the Monroe City Council don’t seem to get it either! Recently, the mayor and the city council  completely ignored the recommendations from citizens of Monroe to delay the vote and approval of giving city funds to State Representative Mike Echols private company. In closing, I would hope that the Black Leaders in Monroe, Louisiana would begin working on uniting and organizing the Black citizens of Monroe, so we can get Mayor Ellis and The Monroe City Council to embrace and fully support “THE SOUTHSIDE DREAM,”like they are embracing and supporting “The Downtown Dream!”

“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” - GEORGE B HAMLET

“Only By Knowing Our Past, Can We Better Understand The Present, And Prepare For An Even Brighter Future “ ~ Garry O Blanson Before 2022, I was told and thought that Abe Piere was the first Black Mayor of Monroe, Louisiana. However, while doing research, I discovered that Abe Pierce wasn’t Monroe’s first Black Mayor. According to my research, a Negro[ possibly a Mulatto ] by the name of George B Hamlet holds that honor. He was originally from Ohio, but in 1869,he moved to New Orleans.  Around the next year, Hamlet made his way to Tensas parish{ according to government records he moved to Monroe February 3, 1873 }.During Reconstruction, George B Hamlet was appointed by Governor William Kellogg as Monroe’s first African-American Mayor( and then Ouachita Parish’s first African-American Sheriff ). At the end of Reconstruction in Ouachita parish, he went to live in Washington D.C. where he became Chief Postal Inspector of the Post Office( becoming the first African-American to do so ). It was said that the people in Washington D.C. did not realize his race until he had held the post for many years. George B Hamlet died in Landover, MD January 24, 1926, leaving behind a wife and son }.During the period following the American Civil War( known as The Reconstruction Era ), Negroes in Monroe, Louisiana and other parts of the U.S. experienced many social and economic advancements. Combined with the Abolishment of slavery and Negro males being able to vote[ due to the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution ; plus the fact that many of the White males could not vote, because they had supported the Confederates ], Negroes were able to elect Blacks to Congress in several states in the South & North. Ok, Fast-forward to 2022. Currently in Monroe, Louisiana there are a sizeable amount of Black males and Black females holding government positions. Also, as of 2022, the Black population is documented at 60% - 61.3. Based on these numbers alone, It seems to me that it should be easy for the Black Leaders in Monroe, Louisiana to unite and organise the Black citizens of Monroe and come up with an Agenda to help improve and rebuild our Black Communities here in Monroe, Louisiana.

OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” ~ ALFRED LAWLESS

Recently, I read about A Petition. The Petition read, “Change Our School Name back to Alfred Lawless High School.” You see, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the lower 9th Ward Black Community in New Orleans, Louisiana. It also destroyed The Alfred Lawless High School. The High School was named for Rev. Alfred Lawless . The Alfred Lawless High School was founded in the lower ninth ward as a public school( Alfred Lawless High School has graduated lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs, nurses, and politicians ).   So who was Alfred Lawless, you might ask? Well, he was born on July 26,1872 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He attended Straight University in New Orleans and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1900, and a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1902. In 1903, the American Missionary Association sent Alfred Lawless to “Oscar, Louisiana” to replace Laforest A Planving[ the Negro principal and founder of Pointe Coupe Industrial High School ].After his arrival at the High School in Oscar,Louisiana, Mr. Lawless was shot at and advised to get out of town. He went back to New Orleans, Louisiana . In 1904, he founded the Beecher Memorial Congregational Church. In 1914, he became the principal of Fisk Colored School.  Additionally, Rev. Alfred Lawless became the Superintendent of Negro Congregational Churches in the South in 1917{ Alfred Lawless High School and the Lawless Memorial Chapel on Dillard University's campus were named in his honor }. While writing this article, I got to thinking about the some of the buildings in our Black Communities that were once here, but are now gone and forgotten. Like Mt Nebo School that was on Jackson St in Monroe,the Booker T Washington School that use to be in Booker T on Powell Ave, Johnson Cleaners that was on Swayze St near Carroll High School, and The Negro Knights of Pythias Lodge building that was located near the city graveyard in Monroe.How many can you remember???  

“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE ” - LYDIA HAMILTON SMITH

Lydia Hamilton was born at Russell Tavern, in Adams County, Pennsylvania . She was the widow of a Gettysburg Negro barber named Jacob Smith, who died in 1852 ; by whom she had two children. Since she had an Irish father, she was a known as a “quadroon”( she had Caucasian features and a skin of light-gold tint...with Irish eyes, like her Irish father). In 1847, Lydia moved with her two boys to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to work as house keeper for Thaddeus Stevens[ the White Lawyer and Radical Republican who helped craft “The Historic 14th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution” ]. It was by managing Thaddeus Stevens business affairs and housekeeping that Lydia learned the skills that she would later use to run her own Businesses. After Thaddeus Stevens's death in 1868, in addition to buying his house in Lancaster{ partially from money that he left her in his Will }, Smith operated a prosperous boarding house across from the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., as well as invested in real estate and other business ventures. Maybe some of you all will remember that S. Epatha Merkerson’s portrayed Lydia Hamilton Smith in the 2012 film “LINCOLN.” In closing,The main reason I started off my series of articles about Black People who owned businesses is because, I feel that there is a great need for more Black Owned businesses here in Monroe( especially on the SOUTHSIDE & Eastside ).There once was a time in Monroe, Louisiana when Blacks had their own thriving economy. Where Blacks could buy and trade goods from one another.Why, I recently heard about how Rev Roosevelt Wright’s father had a taxi stand on Desiard St ; Also Mr Joseph Pendleton had a gas service station on Desiard St ; “THE RITZ,” Negro Theatre was located on Desiard St ; and then who could forget the Historic “MILLER ROY” building that’s being renovated on Desiard St too.! Yes, Black People certainly had it “going on” way back then! Well, now it’s 2022, over a Century later. While businesses are still being started near Black Communities in Monroe, there still aren’t enough Black Owned business establishments. Again, I say…Somehow ,Someway, and Someday soon…we need to start & maintain more Black Businesses to help build and support our Black Communities here in Monroe, Louisiana.

“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” - SAMUEL B FULLER

The Accomplishments of our Black ancestors should be and are very important to the older generation of Blacks living today( and to the younger generation as well). Back in 1905, when Samuel B Fuller was born in Monroe, Louisiana ( Ouachita Parish ), Black citizens were experiencing much prejudice and poverty. By the age of 10, S.B. Fuller had dropped out of school and had begun selling products door-to-door.Around 1920, his mother decided to move her family to Memphis Tennessee{ the same town where Martin Luther King was killed }.Two years later, his mother died and he and his six siblings had to fend for themselves.Samuel B Fuller didn’t mind working.By the age of 18, he was well on his way to becoming a very successful Entrepreneur. Before making friends with Lestine Thornton (who later became his wife), He worked several odd jobs.However, S.B. Fuller knew in his heart that he could never attain the financial success he desired working for someone else( you can’t either ).Therefore, he decided to enter a partnership with Lestine Thornton. In 1929, at the age of 24, he incorporated Fuller Products. While starting his own business, S.B. Fuller continued working at Commonwealth Burial Association.Due to the success of his own business, he was able to leave Commonwealth, open a factory for his business, and expand his line of products.Samuel B Fuller went on to purchase several newspapers including the New York Age and the Pittsburg Courier. Additionally, he owned the South Center Department Store and the Regal Theater in Chicago.In closing, I would like mention that the children of Black parents who lived here in Monroe between 1900 -1929 produced several of our strong,prominent “BLACK LEADERS.” Leaders like Dr. John Reddix Sr, Dr. Raymond Pierce, B.D. Robinson, Morris Henry Carroll, Abraham Bowie Sr, Ibra January Sr., and Joseph Miller Sr !!!” Furthermore, They did so with meager earnings , very little support from White people or Government Assistant programs such as W.I.C. or S.N.A.P.[ someway,somehow, someday soon, Black People in Monroe must find a way to repeat what Our Black ancestors have already done, done! ].

“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” - Mary Ellen Pleasant

There’s an old saying that I learned from my Personal Development Studies. It says,”Change your plan, but not your goal.” Whenever I think about The Underground Railroad, my mind almost instantly thinks of Harriet Tubman. Well, by way of my research of Black History, I have learned about another courageous black female who was actively involved in The Underground Railroad. Although some people say that Mary Ellen Pleasant was born in 1812, she adamantly stated that she was born on August 19, 1814 . Furthermore, because of her light skin complexion[ and white associates /friends ], Mary Ellen Pleasant was able to “PASS” as being “WHITE!” She ended up marrying a man named James Smith, a wealthy flour contractor and plantation owner who had freed his slaves and was also able to “PASS as WHITE!” She and her husband worked together on the Underground Railroad until his death. Also to my surprise, I learned that Mary Pleasant & Harriet Tubman were reportedly good friends of John Brown( the White Abolitionist who unsuccessfully led the raid on Harper’s Ferry. It was said that if Harriet Tubman wasn’t ill at the time,she would have died or been captured at Harper’s Ferry). Beginning in the 1860s, Mary Ellen Pleasant was called the "Mother of Civil Rights in California" for her work as an abolitionist. In addition to being an Abolitionist, Mary Pleasant was also an entrepreneur, financier, and real-estate magnate[ She was arguably the first self-made millionaire of African-American heritage, preceding Madam C. J. Walker ]. In closing, I think BLACK PEOPLE would do well to go back and study( and see ) how Mary Ellen Pleasant repeatedly had to change her “PLANS,”but she NEVER changed her “GOAL” of helping Negroes escape to freedom!

“OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” - Anthony Overton ll

Even today, it still perplexes me that there was very little mention of successful Negro Businessmen when I attended school. Nevertheless, with in the past 5-10 years, I have discovered that there were several. One of the most successful, of the many successful Negro businessmen that I learned about was actually born in Monroe, Louisiana on March 21, 1865. His name is Anthony Overton ll{ there is actually a picture of him located at The Monroe African American museum, here in Monroe }. By the way, his father, Anthony Overton Sr. was instrumental in starting one of the 1st schools for Negroes in Monroe( after the American Civil War ). During the era of Reconstruction He attended public school in Monroe before the family moved to Kansas in the 1870s. After several successful businesses and not so successful, Anthony Overton relocated his business to Chicago in 1911. Within two years the company manufactured 62 products and had a sales staff of 32 full time employees as well as over 400 door-to-door sales people. Anthony Overton was a great banker, manufacturer, and the first Negro in America to lead a major business conglomerate. Additionally, He later went on to start a newspaper( The Chicago Bee ), an advertising magazine[ the Half-Century Magazine ]. He also ran a Insurance Company{ The Victory Life Insurance Company }. Plus,Anthony Overton oSo What’s amazing about all that Anthony Overton ll achieved? Well for one, since there was no Internet or cellphones in his day that allowed people to communicate and conduct business all across the world and back ; He and his salesmen had to go door-to-door( repeatedly having doors shut in their face ). Two, he got hundreds of black people to “NOT ONLY” buy his company’s many products and read his newspaper, but he also was able to succeed in getting thousands of black people to purchase life insurance from his insurance company and put their hard earned dollars in his bank! Which stands out even more so when we you look at the deteriorating & debilitating conditions presently going on in our black communities( all over America ).Needless to say, the present generation of black people had better unite,organize,make plans, and execute those plan meticulously & methodically !