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…
Category: Opinions
Our Democracy needs committed people now more than ever
By Marie Brown The importance of strengthening the Ouachita Democratic Party Executive Committee There are times in the life of a community when sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option. I believe we are living in one of…
Our Rich Black Heritage: “The 1978 Landmark Federal Civil Rights Class Action Lawsuit Decision on the Ausberry Versus the City of Monroe Court Case
By Garry Blanson Concerning Voting Rights and Municipal Elections in Monroe, Louisiana” As I am thinking about the City of Monroe and its present system of government, I pause for a moment and ponder about all of the current Black…
Our Rich Black Heritage: The “Human Body Count”
By Garry Blanson Of the number of Negroes and Colored people who were lynched in Monroe, Louisiana, “on the grounds of The Ouachita Parish Courthouse” Please Note — This is Part One of a Two-Part Series. In April of 1939,…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Part two of the humble beginnings of the Carver-McDonald Branch Library
By Garry Blanson At the end of my last ORBH article, the members of “The Colored Chamber of Commerce Committee” had just been informed that they would have to come up with “the entire amount of money for a building…
Our Rich Black Heritage: The Humble Beginnings Of The Carver-McDonald Library, In Monroe, Louisiana
By Garry Blanson Please note that this is part one of a two-part series. Way, way, way before “black citizens” in Monroe, Louisiana even had the money to acquire a building for a library, and when Negroes weren’t allowed entrance…
Our Rich Black Heritage: “The First Negro Zulu Mardi Gras Parade in Monroe, Louisiana”
By Garry Blanson Part Two from last week First, let me welcome everyone back for Part Two of this series! Next, I would like to thank “Lora Peppers,” in the Genealogy Department at the Main Branch of the Ouachita Parish…