By Garry Blanson
As Black citizens in Monroe, Louisiana, eagerly await the election to “select the NAACP’s next president,” I would like to inform everyone about a few of the “forgotten Negroes who helped make the Monroe Chapter of the NAACP a reality!” Although I wasn’t able to find a whole lot about these “inspiring Black men,” I was able to discover their names and a few things about their contributions to getting the first Monroe Chapter of the NAACP established.
First, there’s N.S. Pierce, who was actually the one who originally contacted the National NAACP Office on December 6, 1925, about starting a NAACP chapter in Monroe, Louisiana. Later, he was notified by the National NAACP Office that in order to obtain an official NAACP charter, he would need at least 50 people to pay the $1 fee required to become a member! Next, there is Louis Tillman, who wanted to help start a local chapter to help “address civil rights issues such as the lynching of Negroes on the grounds of the Ouachita Parish Courthouse!” By the way, it was reported Lester Jackson was also instrumental in organizing the early meetings and helping increase the enrollment number of new members.
Another person of interest who helped lay the foundation for “acquiring a charter to establish the Monroe Chapter of the NAACP” was Aaron Jackson, who helped by going around gathering support and recruiting new members too! Interestingly, according to Aaron’s relative, Quincy Gardner, not only did Aaron build some of the Negro subdivisions in Monroe, but there was also “a Negro subdivision” named after him, which was known as Aaron Jackson Subdivision and was located near the corner of Louisville Avenue and North 18th Street. Finally, there was a Negro by the name of S.B. Smith. Around the middle of March 1926, after the initial enthusiasm about establishing a local NAACP chapter in Monroe had died down, it was S.B. Smith’s efforts that revived everything and kept things going!
In April of 1926, S.B. Smith reached out to the National NAACP Office requesting much-needed promotional materials, which were used to organize and unite the Negroes living in Monroe. By the end of September 1927, these five Negro men, along with the help of other Negroes in Monroe, were successful in recruiting 63 people to pay the $1 membership fee, which met the National NAACP Office’s 50-member requirement that was needed to acquire an NAACP charter and officially start the first NAACP chapter in Monroe, Louisiana! Thusly, the group’s application was officially approved, and on December 27, 1927, “the Monroe, Louisiana, Chapter of the NAACP was formally and finally chartered!”
In closing, I hope that everyone enjoyed this week’s ORBH article. For those who are “currently a NAACP member in good standing,” please be sure to vote in this coming NAACP election to elect the next NAACP president!!!
