In the summer of 2022, “9 Louisiana High Schools SUED THE LHSAA,” including 3 local schools in Monroe, Louisiana: Neville, Carroll, and Wossman. The action that prompted the lawsuit was when LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine and the LHSAA executive committee changed the definition of a “select” school to include any school that offered a magnet program, all charter schools, and all schools in a district that offers open enrollment. The main complaint about the decision was that is was not ratified by a vote of the entire LHSAA Body, as it should have been!
Well, in 2023, the judge ended up ruling in favor of the 9 High School Teams, which didn’t sit well with Eddie Bonine! “NEXT, IN 2024, UNION LAB HIGH SCHOOL SUED THE LHSAA,” in order to have the team’s 8 games that they had to forfeit reinstated. By the way, the Union Lab lawsuit not only held up the release of the 2024 High School Playoff Brackets, but it would lead to the “NEW 2025 LHSAA LAWSUIT RULE” that was approved at the LHSAA’s Annual Convention Meeting, which was held back in January of 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As regarding the Union Lab lawsuit, a judge ruled in favor of the LHSAA, so Union Lab didn’t get to play in any reindeer games. Furthermore, since the details about the New LHSAA Lawsuit Rule are readily available online, I won’t bother going into the details about the rule here.
However, I will say that Executive Eddie Bonine should be ashamed for allowing a rule such as this to not only be considered, but to be approved, just to satisfy his ego! Enough about that mess, let’s get to this week’s Black Pioneer, Mary Ann Torran Cook! What really surprises me about this week’s Black Pioneer is that in all the years that I have lived in Monroe, not once have I ever heard about this Phenomenal Colored School Teacher, “WHO RAN ONE OF THE FIRST SCHOOLS FOR COLORED CHILDREN IN MONROE, LOUISIANA!” Well, as the story goes, Mary’s parents, John and Tennessee Torran, moved their family here to Monroe when Mary was about 4 years old, which happened to be around the time of the American Civil War.
While I wasn’t able to find any information about Mary’s education, one would have to think that she had done pretty well academically, since she was able to run her own private school for so many years. By the way, Mary fell in love with a Colored Man by the name of James Cook, and they were married in Ouachita Parish on December 13, 1878. Also, the couple lived at the corner of Texas Avenue and South 9th Street, and they had 4 children ; Robert, Arthur, Bertha, and one child who died before adulthood. Additionally, as I was researching, I was directed to a 1908 article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which stated that two of Mary’s students were Italian. As I read on, I learned that her school, “was listed as Cook Private School, and was located at 220 South Congo St. in Monroe.” Interestingly, the Cook Private School was within walking distance of the Wisner School for Colored children that was also located in Monroe, on Washington Street. Wow, I can’t believe that I’m just now finding out about Mary and her private school! Sadly, on March 10, 1923, following a lengthy illness, the Phenomenal Colored Educator, Mary Ann Torran Cook drew her last breath, and went on home to glory! Her funeral was held at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Monroe, with Rev. H.R. Flynn presiding over the funeral services.
Finally, I felt that it should be duly noted that at the time of her untimely death, Mary was President of the Tenth District Baptist Association. In closing, I will say that while it’s disappointing that so much of the local history of our Black pioneering colored and Negro citizens of Monroe and Ouachita Parish has not been recorded and put in school books for White and Black students to read and learn about, I appreciate how God is allowing me to play a significant part in reminding people about “OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE!”
