By Garry Blanson Annie was born on August 9, 1869, on a farm in Massac County, Illinois (two years after Madam C.J. Walker), near Metropolis, Illinois. After her father left the family to fight for the Union Army in the…
Category: Editorial
Our Rich Black Heritage: James Edward Shepard
By Garry Blanson “So our people not only have to be re-educated to the importance of supporting Black businesses, but the Black man himself has to be made aware of the importance of going into business! And once you and…
“Coach Prime”, Broderick Fobbs deserve praise for “Giveback” spirit
Powerful things happen when those who have succeeded give back a portion of their knowledge and skill to help others. While there are thousands who “give back,” Deion Sanders and closer to home, Broderick Fobbs are perfect examples. Sanders, known…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Frederick McKinley Jones
By Garry Blanson The next time you open your refrigerator, you can say thank you to Frederick McKinley Jones. He was born on May 17, 1893, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother was Black, and his father was White. His family…
City redraw of maps is a lesson in political gerrymandering
This week the Black community received a classic lesson in politics 101: How to hold on to power by gerrymandering. Let’s assume citizens are students asking the questions of a Black political science instructor. Here’s how the lesson would go:…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Harriet Robinson Scott
By Garry Blanson Every year during Black History Month, much is said about Harriet Tubman and how she helped slaves escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Well, while researching, I came across another “Harriet” who many Black People have…
I thought I wouldn’t need college, wrong!
By Robert K. Wright December 2022 marks ten years of being a college-educated man in America. On December 8, 2012, I graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. Dr. Nick Bruno was…