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COMMENTARY: Your Obituary Goes Right Here!
NNPA NEWSWIRE — We get syrupy about “Hidden Figures” from all over and know little about the heroes and sheroes who grew up in our own back yard. Mrs. French L. Cowens was born French L. Jackson to Willie Mae and Willis Jackson in Gladewater, Texas. She grew up in old North Central Dallas.
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“Quit Playin”
By Vincent L. Hall | Texas Metro News
For years, my publisher Cheryl Smith has had a dream to print a weekly obituary page. Not just for the money, but because we continue to bury giants in this community without telling their stories. Ancestry.com needs us! This story came during a funeral for the mother of a friend, Kevin Cowens, and his brother Kenneth.
The history was so vivid and vibrant. We get syrupy about “Hidden Figures” from all over and know little about the heroes and sheroes who grew up in our own back yard. Mrs. French L. Cowens was born French L. Jackson to Willie Mae and Willis Jackson in Gladewater, Texas. She grew up in old North Central Dallas.
As a little girl, she would walk to church on Sundays by herself to St. John’s Baptist Church. On her way to St. John, caught the attention of sisters at the Sacred Heart of Mary convent from St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church across the street.
They were so impressed with the little girl they asked her mother if she could attend St. Peters academy and live in the convent tuition-free.
Her mother gave permission, and she was raised there. She went to daily mass, communion, and evening vespers daily. She excelled in academics and graduated at age 16 from high school with honors. She attended the Xavier University School of Pharmacy in New Orleans. She completed the demanding five-year pharmacy program in three and 1/2 years with honors. She pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and become president of the Pharmacy Club.
She was crowned, Miss Xavier (homecoming queen) in 1948. After graduation from Xavier, French L. faced a dilemma. She was only 20 years old and too young to take the State Pharmacy Board. The required age was 21. She worked menial jobs for six months until she could take the Louisiana Pharmacy Board and passed.
Upon returning to Texas, she faced the challenge of finding a pharmacy position. In the early 1950s, this qualified young African American woman could not get a job as a pharmacist in Dallas, Texas. In the meantime, she began teaching Chemistry, Biology, and Algebra at Dallas Booker T. Washington High School.
There she met and married Edward L. Cowens and had two sons. The Pharmacy Administrator at St. Paul’s hospital (Sister Florence) hired Mrs. Cowens to run the pharmacy on the 3-11 shifts for the 700-bed hospital. She would work alone, and she would arrive 45 minutes after the dayshift personnel left so they would not know she was Black.
One day a White pharmacist from the day shift made a medication error. An irate surgeon went to the pharmacy that evening to confront the pharmacist. To his surprise, he found Mrs. Cowens running the pharmacy, and the secret was out. Because her work was so impeccable, she was not terminated because of her race. She resigned after a newly graduated young White male pharmacist was hired to be her supervisor, and she was instructed to teach him his job.
Mrs. Cowens continued to pray. She opened a neighborhood pharmacy in North Central Dallas while teaching at her alma mater, S. Peters Academy. There she taught high school Chemistry and Biology.
She served as a powerful role model for hundreds of African American students. She was a practicing pharmacist at various outlets in the Dallas Fort Worth area. In 1964, the Forest Avenue Hospital was opened by three Black physicians and a Black entrepreneur, and she became the Director of Pharmacy. It was her dream position.
The tiny 65-bed facility provided medical care to over 65,000 Black and Hispanic patients in the South Dallas area. She operated the Forest Avenue Pharmacy until shortly before its closure in 1979. Mrs. French L. Cowens was the first African American woman in the State of Texas to practice pharmacy.
Mrs. Cowens lived a life of courage and hard work. She bore great love for her family and her people. She referred to racial discrimination as “the civil war.” She fought it! And her sons; they both became medical doctors. Everybody else resurrects the best part of their history. Why should we keep burying ours?
(Thanks to Dr. Kevin Cowens for sharing your mom with us…again.)
The post COMMENTARY: Your Obituary Goes Right Here! first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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