Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom, Faith, and Forward Progress in Monroe By Marie Brown As Juneteenth approaches, the people of Monroe have an opportunity to celebrate not only a historic moment in American history, but also the resilience, faith, and…
Category: Editorial
Our Rich Black Heritage: Herman L. Finley Sr., Minister of Music, Music Director, Gospel Recording Artist, and Music Executive at Jewel Records
By Garry Blanson As I was growing up in Monroe, Louisiana, I can remember my mother, Mrs. Jessie Mae Phenix Blanson, attending and graduating from a local vocational school that used to be located at 700 Rogers Street in Monroe,…
Many want to be judge, but can’t half the baby
In August, candidates will officially qualify for the November elections, and our intersections will soon be cluttered with campaign yard signs. Among the most consequential races will be for the 4th Judicial District Court, where four—and potentially five—vacancies are opening…
Our City, Our Community
By Marie Brown People in Monroe are still reeling over the failed 2 Renewal tax propositions that occurred on May 16th. The Monroe City School system has 83% of its enrollment of black students. It has been noted that…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Colored People and “Packing and Cracking” During the First Period of Reconstruction in America
By Garry Blanson As I was going to look up the old nursery rhyme about “St. Ives” — you all still remember that old nursery rhyme — something made me realize that the redistricting currently going on in Louisiana and…
City school tax should be reworked before voting again
The defeat of the Monroe City Schools property tax renewals on May 16th was not a vote against the children of Monroe. It was a firm, unmistakable demand for transparency and systemic guardrails. For too long, local taxpayers have watched…
Our City, Our Community
By Marie Brown The primary elections for the congressional, state and local have concluded. There are runoffs forthcoming and all 5 state constitutional amendments were defeated. The most devastating blow were the 2 local tax RENEWAL propositions that were…