By Marie Brown I trust that everybody had a happy Thanksgiving during this past holiday weekend. Through some of the most difficult times we are experiencing, there is so much to be thankful for. Our faith in God sustains us…
Category: Editorial
Our Rich Black Heritage: Pythina “Pye” Brown
By Garry Blanson “The education of the Negro has become the perfect device for control (by the American government) from without.” — Carter G. Woodson What if I told you that the very system Black people in Monroe, Louisiana, have…
2026 will be a game changer for school standards
With the rollout of the 2026 “Grow. Achieve. Thrive.” accountability system, Louisiana schools can no longer afford to approach academic progress as “business as usual.” This new era requires careful re-evaluation of how student achievement is recognized, how grades are…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Dr. Cuthbert Ormond Simpkins
By Garry Blanson A founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Candidly, I would like to state for the record that I believe the efforts of the Neville Charter Association to make Neville High School a charter school are…
Legislative Black Caucus has tough job ahead
The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (LLBC) has its work cut out for it in the Louisiana legislature. The caucus’s 2024 record was marked by undeniable breakthroughs—even as it worked within a legislature that often stood in stark opposition to its…
Our City – Our Community
By Marie Brown I, along with many in our community, recently attended a Kicking Up Dust Towards New Horizons given by OIC of Ouachita. This was a Community Partners Roundup in which most of the attendees wore western attire that…
City’s file 13 fills as checks and balances fail
In theory, Monroe’s City Charter was written to keep power in check. The mayor oversees administration; the city council acts as a legislative counterweight. In practice, however, neither branch respects the other—and the people of Monroe are left paying the…