History in our own backyard: Here are stories reflecting Black history in Ouachita Parish

Famed civil rights activist Marcus Garvey was once quoted saying, "A people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots."

From the Negro Leagues to the establishment of the parish's first Black library, there are several hidden Black history jewels that can be found in our own backyard.

Here are three previously covered stories that elevated the voices of the Black American experience in Ouachita Parish.

Monroe Monarchs

Between the late 1920s and 1935, the Monroe Monarchs played in the Negro Leagues, now considered part of the history of Major League Baseball, and enjoyed some success playing at Casino Park, which sat near the present site of Carroll High School.

The Monarchs won the 1932 pennant in the Southern League and played in an unofficial Negro World Series, losing to the declared winners of the Negro National League, the Pittsburg Crawfords. The Crawfords had a roster that included future Hall of Famers Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige and Oscar Charleston, all of whom played against the Monarchs in Monroe.

More: Meet 4 Black figures from Monroe, West Monroe who impacted history

Thomas Aiello, a Monroe native and professor at Valdosta State University, highlighted the story of the Monarchs' historic championship in his book, "The Kings of Casino Park: Black Baseball in the Lost Season of 1932." Aiello spoke about how the Monarchs bridged the racial divide in Monroe and made history in the Negro Leagues.

Rosenwald Schools

Louisiana's Rosenwald Schools were historic schools built in rural areas between 1912 and 1932 to provide education for hundreds of Black students throughout 62 parishes. The schools were founded by noted Black educator Booker T. Washington and funded partially through grants from Sears & Roebuck president Julius Rosenwald.

Approximately 380 one-, two- and three-room schoolhouses were constructed throughout the state, one of which, still stands today in Ouachita Parish. The McHenry School was one of eight Rosenwald Schools in Ouachita Parish.

The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation are working finding and preserving the locations of remaining Rosenwald Schools, as well as the stories of former students. In 2022, the remaining locations were added to the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation's Most Endangered Sites list.

More: Black History Month in Northeast Louisiana: Check out some historic firsts

Carver-McDonald Branch of the Ouachita Parish Library

The Carver-McDonald Branch was the first library branch in Ouachita Parish to provide library services to Blacks. Prior to 1948, local segregation laws prevented Black readers from accessing the Ouachita Parish Library.

The Monroe Colored Chamber of Commerce was integral in the establishment of the Carver branch library, now called the Carver-McDonald library. The Ouachita Library Board of Control agreed to establish library service for Blacks in the area, furnishing the books and paying for the librarian's salary and upkeep of the branch if the Colored Chamber of Commerce could provide a building. The first opened in the Carroll High School auditorium on Feb. 1, 1949, with 1,200 volumes including children's books, non-fiction, religious and historical books.

In 1964, the branch was built at its current site adjacent to Carroll High School at a cost of $66,291

Robert Tanzy, who served as branch librarian from 1975 to 2010, reminisced about his days frequented the branch as a child and how the branch's first librarian Odalie Richardson McDonald inspired him to become a librarian.

Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Here are three stories reflecting Black history in Ouachita Parish