Community celebrates Rodney A. Howard, Sr.

Feb. 9—Palestine's Community Mpact is honoring Rodney A. Howard, Sr. during a Celebration of Black History Month.

Howard, a political activist who also served as an Anderson County Pct. 2 Commissioner, along with Frank Robinson and Timothy Smith, carried the torch for equal representation for the Black community by fighting against gerrymandering in the early 1970s. The three would take their fight all the way to the Supreme Court and win.

"For years I've always wanted to do something to honor Mr. Howard because it's never been done," said Ernie Williams, a native of Palestine and member of Community Mpact.

Keynote speaker for the event will be Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.

Williams grew up looking up to Howard, Robinson and Smith, as did many in the community.

"These were the men that led the charge for the civil rights movement in the 60s and 70s in our community," Williams said. "All the Black kids looked up to Mr. Howard. He was truly a leader to all of us in the community. He was a guy we knew would take us to the next level. All too often we wait until someone has passed away to honor them. I wanted to make sure we honor Mr. Howard now."

It was 51 years ago that Howard, Robinson and Smith filed a lawsuit against both the city and the county.

Howard said the first lawsuit was filed in 1973 against the county and they received their ruling in 1974 agreeing that the county and city were manipulating districting to keep the Black community form having a say in local politics.

At that time Howard said Anderson County had four commissioner precincts, but they were mapped in a way that diluted the Black vote into the four precincts. After they won, Precinct 2 became the mapped district that represented the African-American community at large.

In the city, the three filed a lawsuit to have the at-large council changed to a single district plan, which they also won.

"It felt like we really accomplished something when we began to see Black officials elected," Howard said.

Howard said Herman Bell, a deputy sheriff, ran in 1976 and was the first African-American Constable to be elected.

Reginald Browne, Sr., an Ag teacher at AM Story School was the first Black County Commissioner to be elected in 1977. He served from 1978 to 1990 and then Howard was elected in 1991.

O'Nell Hunt was elected the first African-American Justice of the Peace in 1982.

Despite the right to run, Howard said the political climate was very difficult and often tumultuous at the time.

"Howard and these other brave men were in the fire, doing this all in the face of racism and opposition," Williams said. "That's why we are hosting this event to make sure our youth understand these men are why we have so many alternatives."

Williams said everything Howard did was rooted in love, as a godly man of peace, much like Martin Luther King, Jr.

Howard said it was the strength of his parents, his foundation in the church and his faith in God that gave him the strength and the courage to do what they did.

"We never wavered when we were planning this," he said. "We never felt that we should give up. We were going to see it through."

Howard said once they won they formed the Anderson County Voting Committee and started educating the Black community on voting and getting someone elected. They would set up forums and then they would recommend a candidate so they could form a good solid vote and show strength at the polls.

Howard said what they did also helped the white community.

"Before we filed the lawsuit against the city, when you voted for all the elected officials at large, most of the ones running were from the same neighborhood," he said. They were typically a group of business owners. They were the ones running city hall. The six single member districts gave the whole community four white precincts so they could have different areas of representation from the community in each precinct. Before, they could out vote the lower classes, so you didn't see a good cross section of community leaders. People don't recognize that part of it of what we did. The part that benefited everyone."

Williams said he is hoping and praying Community Mpact can hold an event like this every year.

"I want to see Black history celebrated adequately, which in my opinion, has not been done in the past, but I think this is a good start," he said. "All too often Black history is relegated to a little church service. I want to see it celebrated in a bigger way, a way that makes a difference in our community, especially with our youth."

Williams said he'd like to extend a special 'thank you' to Jessica Hawkins, it's her and people like her who make events like this possible, along with Jodi Davis, Palestine Regional Medical Center and Safeco Insurance.

Howard said not to forget Ernie Williams Insurance community, and Ernie Williams and his Mpact Group who he said "Made this all happen."