By Garry Blanson Part One of a Two-Part Series As I was researching the other day, I ran across an old article that mentioned that there was once “A LAW or RULE” that strongly prohibited Colored People in Ouachita Parish…
Category: Editorial
Board’s Financial Negligence Betrays Public Trust, heads should roll
The recently released audit of the Monroe City School Board paints a damning picture of financial mismanagement and neglect that should outrage every taxpayer and parent in our community. The sheer breadth and depth of the failures uncovered reveal a…
“Our Rich Black Heritage”: Coleman College – the first “HBCU” founded in Northern Louisiana
By Garry Blanson “When it comes to learning things, I have found that it’s not so important that you know everything, just so long as you know and remember that you have the power to learn anything” -Garry O. Blanson…
As shootings continue, city would be wise to take first study steps
Monroe is a violent community, with a spiraling crime rate that far exceeds state and national averages. By some estimates, our violent crime rates are 600% higher than the national average for cities our size. Although it was reported last…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Leland University/College
By Garry Blanson Part Two of a Two-Part series Well, hopefully some of you all who read my last week’s “OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE” article went online and found out that Leland opened “in 1870,” in New Orleans, Louisiana, as…
When will Mayor Ellis end his peeing contest with the city council?
The peeing contest between Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis and the Black members of the city council must end, or it will definitely begin expensive court fights and legislative slowdowns. At the center of this conflict is the issue of contract…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Leland University/College
By Garry Blanson Part One of a Two-Part part series Today, when most people talk about Historical Black Colleges (HBCUs) & Universities in Louisiana, they are quick to mention Grambling & Southern. Well, there was a Black University that came…