The Monroe community is mourning the death of Herbert Wright, a towering presence in community affairs for over 50 years.
Wright, a deacon at the St. James Baptist Church, was found dead in his home Sunday, October 27, 2019. He had been ill for quite some time.
He was among a generation of men who helped to forge many of the gains African-Americans enjoy.
As a member of 5th District Black Caucas, Wright was deeply involved in elections and political activities that resulted in the election of a number of black candidates to political office including Rep. Willie Hunter and Senator Charles Jones. He was a key campaign organizer in the election of Abe E. Pierce, the city’s first elected Black mayor and several candidates for Police Jury and other elected offices.
In addition, he was among the men who organized the Tri-District Laymen which gave birth to the Tri-District Boys Club, which helped thousands of youth over the years.
An avid churchman and Bible Scholar, Wright was the chairman of the Deacon Board at St. James and President of the Church Usher Board. He was an active supporter of the City-Wide Ushers and celebrated hundreds of anniversaries with fellow church ushers for generations.
His was a generation of men who put their faith in God in action and made changes to better the community.
As of press time Wednesday, funeral services were incomplete.
