It’s been two years since we published the “First Blacks” listing. Each year there are fewer new additions to the list and there is a very good reason, there are many more opportunities available to African-Americans today than there were generations ago. Today, in many areas, Blacks who are hired on a job or placed in a position are not the first of our race. No matter what difficulties still exist, those who were first in the door had a more difficult challenge.
Our history is filled with the major accomplishments of our ethnic heroes and heroines: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington, Mary McCleod Bethune, and Barack Obama are just a few. While we study how they broke the iron wall that blocked entry into many avenues of life for African-Americans, there were thousands of others who broke similar barriers.
In family circles, their stories are told repeatedly, drilled into the minds of our children and grandchildren so that each family would know the champions of the cause who shared their blood.
This edition lists hundreds of local citizens who were the first of their race to hold a position, or begin a venture that was either blocked because of racism or unexpected for African-Americans.
The “First Blacks” were true Trail Blazers.
A trailblazer makes a path through uncharted territory and leaves a trail for others to follow.
Each trailblazer’s role was significant because if they failed for some reason, others of our race would find the door opened by the trailblazer closed forever.
If Barack Obama had proven to be ignorant, dishonest, ill-tempered, or dysfunctional as the nation’s first Black President, his failure would be transferred to every other black person who sought the presidency. However, while some may have disagreed with his politics, very few in America labeled him as ignored, dishonest, or lacking in presidential capacity. That makes it easier, for other African-Americans to consider seeking the presidency. Obama’s success paved the way for others to follow him.
In our community, that same transference has happened in thousands of places. In the early 70s when banks hired the first black tellers, the suspicions were that blacks could not count or be trusted around that much money. The stereotype was blacks are not smart enough to be tellers and can’t be trusted. However, those first tellers proved themselves trustworthy and competent. Today, most employers are less reluctant to hire African-Americans in banking because of racist stereotypes. That happened because of the first blacks.
Shirley Pine was the first black person to serve as a secretary to a city school superintendent. She did the job so well, that every secretary who followed her has been black, even if the superintendent was white. Mrs. Pine’s professionalism removed the incompetent racial stereotypes formerly associated with black secretaries. In her own way, she made it possible for others to follow her.
There are still hundreds of first black opportunities: We’ve had three black mayors, but the city has never had a black city attorney or city engineer. West Monroe will get its first black alderman this year. There’s never been a black superintendent of parish schools, or a black district attorney. Many doors have been opened to our people since the 1964 Civil Rights Act and barriers are still falling; that’s a good thing.
If you spot the names of friends in the First Black list, ask them to tell you their story. You will get an ear full.
During this Black history month celebration, we celebrate the hundreds of “first blacks” who paved the way for others to follow.
Let’s thank them for their sacrifice and service.
