This week’s article is about a local Black man from the town of Richwood, Louisiana. Not only did he graduate from Richwood High School and Southern University, but he was also a U.S. Veteran of WWll.
After returning home to Monroe, Louisiana from Law School and the war, he opened up his Law Practice in April of 1952.
Three years later, he married a local teacher by the name of Barbara L. Wilson. Who knew that this union would later produce two judges (Carl Sharp & Alvin Sharp and an actor/artist George ”Monti” Sharp) .
This man was Lawyer James Sharp Jr. He was often called on to help defend numerous Blacks in Ouachita Parish. One of his most memorable cases was “The Sharp vs Lucky court case” (James Sharp Jr. vs. Mrs. Mae Lucky, Registrar of Voters, Ouachita Parish United States District Court, which took place in 1956. In addition to being connected to attempts by Whites to keep Blacks from registering to vote, the case was also connected to the “GREAT VOTER PURGE of 1956.” Although both of his lawsuits were dismissed, Lawyer Sharp helped bring “National Attention” to how Black People in Monroe were being discriminated against. He testified before Congress, and his efforts were among those that helped pass the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Before he died, the Louisiana Bar Association thanked Lawyer Sharp for dedicating his life to serving the public for over 50 long years. Also, along with having The Monroe City Court Building named in his honor, a commissioned portrait of James Sharp, Jr. hangs inside the Monroe City Courthouse Building.
In closing, I would like to share this information with the Black citizens of Monroe. In case y’all didn’t know, I found out earlier this year that a new “VOTER PURGE” has begun in Ouachita Parish. If you didn’t vote in the last three elections, please contact the Registrar of Voter office and inquire if your name is on the list of “INACTIVE VOTERS.”
