Roosevelt Wright, Jr., publisher of the Free Press, delivered an inspiring address as the keynote speaker for the Local Jack and Jill organization’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. The program, held on the King Holiday, featured a morning of…
Tag: Roosevelt Wright Jr.
City leaders in Washington lobbying for funds, but they are not together
The recent refusal by the Monroe City Council to certify the December 2024 sales tax election results, while ultimately temporary, highlights a concerning rift between the council’s Black majority and Mayor Ellis. This symbolic act of opposition is just the…
Five months in, Ellis still avoids black economic parity
In the five months since taking office, Mayor Friday Ellis’s administration has struggled to establish an effective working relationship with Monroe’s black-majority city council. This growing divide presents a challenge that, while difficult, is not insurmountable for a white mayor…
Harris’ Presidential loss due in part to laid back black support
The 2024 presidential election has come and gone, leaving in its wake a sobering reality for the Democratic Party and Vice President Kamala Harris. While the majority of Black voters stood behind Harris, the enthusiasm and turnout needed to secure…
No more automatic water rate increases, promise made and kept
Your water bill may increase next year, but it won’t be automatic. Thanks to the push of Monroe’s Southside delegation the old practice of automatically increasing water rates without any review has ended. In its place, the council will review…
First 100 Days of Ellis administration was rocky; no Southside respect
The first 100 days of the Ellis administration have been sprinkled with signs of hope but riddled with confrontations between a mayor bent on showing the council that he has the big guns and a well-dug-in council majority bent on…
54-year-old arrest record triggers civil rights memories
Last week, a single arrest record from 1970 resurfaced, to shed light on a largely forgotten chapter of Monroe’s civil rights history. The revelation came two weeks ago when Roosevelt Wright Jr., publisher of the Free Press, and former Civil…