The Indigenous Black People of Monroe, Louisiana and the Surrounding Cities, Towns, and Villages: A 100 Year Documentary

James O. McHenry ED.D

Oct 2010 · Xlibris Corporation

About this ebook

This book is for those Louisiana slaves (and all the American slaves) whose labor was forced without regard to their humanity, even further, with unrestrained disrespect for their existence. This book is a tribute to the indigenous (originated in or native to the region) Black people of Northeast Louisiana, those folk who were reared in the rural areas, villages, and small towns; who worked on the farms and plantations; sharecropped; cleared all the land; tended all the livestock; planted and harvested all the crops; cooked for, babysat, and cleaned the homes of White folk; and endured the hardships of it all. This is a tribute to those laborers and professionals who strived for better lives for themselves and their families; the people who remained in Monroe, those who migrated to Monroe to make it a fine place to call home, and those who returned to the warmth of Monroe to live; and also, to those who left the area and moved on to other parts of the United States and world. I want to thank them all for trusting me with their stories.

Ratings and reviews

I found this book to be useful and very entertaining since I am related to some of the people discussed and appreciate regional black history. Dr. McHenry took a lot of time and care gathering these stories. However, I hope he or his publisher some day has the chance to make corrections to the book. In it he writes that Dr. John I. Reddix's paternal great-grandparents were from Kentucky. I understand how the mistake was made, but the correction is that his paternal great-grandfather, Willis Reddick was from Alabama,--Kentuck, Alabama, not too far from Tuskegee, and his wife Lucy nee Smith was born in Louisiana. Willis's son (John's grandfather B.J.) changed the family name to Reddix with an "x" when he attended Gammon Theological Seminary.

Just finished reading this book. As a small contributer to the content, I felt that I had to make a comment. I was most surprised at the revelations that were presented by the other individuals who contributed to the making of the book. The interactions of Black and White people, especially during the pre-civil rights era of the 1960's, were not as volatile as other areas of the South. Even though predjudice was a manner of everyday life, the people seemed to generally get along peacefully and were more concerned with trying to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones. The struggles, heartaches, and aspirations of the people were very inspiring and should be an example to the young people of today. Having been reared in Monroe myself, I must say that I am VERY proud of the authour, Dr. McHenry, for making this book become a reality. I would definitely recommend this book for reading and or use as a study guide in Black history. Reggie Moorhead

I love finding new things about my family history. Dr. Francis Reddix is my great aunt & i am one of the great great grandchildren of Raymond O. Pierce Sr. :)