|
Black History
Afro-Americans and Caddo Parish Police Jurors/Caddo Parish
Commissioners
In 1971 was a pivotal year for blacks in Caddo Parish seeking
political office. For year’s blacks that tried to run for office
in Caddo Parish failed to win. This was due primarily because of
at-large elections and gerrymandered districts that diluted black
voting strength. Reapportionment suits began to appear
throughout
Louisiana.
By 1971, reapportionment laws had created single-member districts that
would give blacks a chance to wins seats on the School Board and the
Police Jury (the predecessor body that governed the Parish from 1847
until it was replaced by the Caddo Parish Commission in 1984).
The November 1971 primary election in Caddo Parish featured eighteen
blacks running for local and state offices. Sixteen from three
districts that made up predominately Afro-American districts for the
Caddo Parish Police Jury. Those elected were: Educator Hersey
Wilson, District Seven; Dr. C.M. Lester, District Six; and Reverends
M.M. Flynn and E. Edward Jones; District Eight. The police jury
had twenty members.
In 1975, Donald Aytch was elected to the Police Jury from district
ten, Gregory Tarver from district five, David Wyndon from district
seven, and William Hines. Aytch became the vice president in
1982 and president in 1983. This was the first time that any
black had been elected to such positions in the history of the Caddo
Parish Police Jury.
Mrs. Eddie Jones became a member of the Caddo Parish Police Jury
representing district five when Gregory Tarver was elected to the
Shreveport,
City council in 1978. Mrs. Jones, in her eighty’s was the oldest
elected official in the states when she retired in 1992. Shirley
Wills alone with Mrs. Jones were the first black women to be elected
to a police jury in the State of Louisiana when they won election in
1979. Attorney Willie Singleton, the first black to run for
mayor in Shreveport (1974), also won election in 1979.
In 1984, the Caddo Parish Police Jury becomes the twelve members Caddo
Parish Commission. Donald Aytch, Mrs. Eddie Jones, Hersey
Wilson, and David Wyndon were the black members of the Commission.
Ken Epperson joined this crew in 1991 when a fifth area in Caddo
Parish was reapportioned to reflect the growing black population in
the Southeast area. Michael Williams, a retired firefighter,
join the commission when Mrs. Eddie Jones resigned in April of 1992.
In October of 1992, Williams was elected out right.
In 2001, Joyce Bowman (district five) was elected in 1999 alone with
Rose Wilson McCulloch (district two), the daughter of Hersey Wilson,
Carl A. Pierson Sr. (district three), and Patrick Williams (district
seven).
The 2003 election witness a new level when Clifford Collins was
elected as the Commission representation from district twelve, alone
with Lindora Baker (district six) and Stephanie Lynch (district
seven), making the make up of the Caddo Parish Commission six blacks
and six whites.
Back to Top
|
