By Dr. Richard Hackney

Special to the Progress

In celebration of the rich history that has shaped Cherokee County, I have been honored to learn of the contributions made by African Americans in our area. In the second of this two-part series, we recognize the little-known accomplishments of African Americans from the time of emancipation to 2008. During my research, I was inspired by the tenacity displayed by African-American citizens as they faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles in an attempt to break away from indebtedness as a form of white control.

Agricultural Extension Agents — such as Mr. Bradford of Cherokee County recognized in part 1 of this series — played major roles in helping African Americans diversify from cotton farming into other services. Services such as canning, mattress making and sewing opened opportunities to develop skills never before utilized.

The era of African-American entrepreneurship began with service oriented businesses such as a grocery dtore owned by Ed Hill of Bullard. Other businesses included beauty and barber shops, funeral homes and auto repair shops. Notably, the city of Cuney, the only African-American owned town in Cherokee County, once boasted a pharmacy, hotel, grocery store and post office. History has not been kind to Cuney in terms of economic development. The trend of black entrepreneurship seen in Cuney’s early years has now given way to several liquor stores, one barbecue business and a post office.

Over the years, barber and beauty shops, auto repairs shops, bakery, newspaper, auto detail, attorneys, cafes, funeral homes, lawn maintenance, trucking, clothing alteration shops, insurance, child care service, dock building, and a Home builder have been established and continue to contribute to the economic growth of Cherokee County. With community support, like the soon to be developed directory to help market minority businesses in Cherokee County, these businesses will continue to expand.

In the area of professional development, careers such as pharmacy, nursing and positions in health care provide opportunities for African-Americans in Cherokee County. Law enforcement as a career generally has not been viewed as a viable option for many African-Americans in Cherokee County due largely to a less than positive relationship between the black community and law enforcement historically. In spite of this fact, there are African Americans who are making major contributions to law enforcement in Cherokee County such as attorney Daphne L. Session.

On the political front, African Americans have not been particularly engaged in the process until the last few years. The voting history for African Americans in Cherokee County began with the denial of a right to vote followed by the introduction of the poll tax designed to make the voting privilege extremely difficult. Not until the 2008 presidential campaign has the African-American community become completely involved in multiple facets of the political arena. For many African Americans, the candidacy of Barack Obama represents the first real opportunity to vote for someone who understands and really cares about the needs of their families and community.

Central to the economic contributions of African Americans are the numerous African-American churches in Cherokee County. These churches have served as the foundation of Cherokee County’s African-American community along with schools and family farms. Even today, the estimated two hundred African-American churches in the area continue to influence the caliber of community leadership. They remain major economic contributors and posses significant purchasing power in the county.

As a result of the historical establishment of African-American colleges in nearby areas such as Texas College, Wiley College and Jarvis Christian College, African-Americans have become teachers and have successfully pursued rewarding professions in the field of education. School principals such as Holloway, Gaines, Jessie, Bradford, Wilder, Meador, and Bradley Jr., directed many students into rewarding careers throughout Cherokee County. These individuals made an enormous impact economically because they encouraged and inspired many African-Americans to pursue careers that generated greater incomes than a farm income.

During the 1950s and ‘60s, most young African-Americans moved to major cities, thus creating a decline in the number of African-American owned businesses. In recent years, however, there have been an increasing number of African-American businesses opening in Cherokee County such as Adrienne Matlock Farmers Insurance, Daphne L. Sessions, Attorney At Law and Hackney & Associates. With more young African Americans choosing to remain residents of Cherokee County, this trend of entrepreneurship will continue to grow.

As Cherokee County expands, African Americans will increasingly recognize that they have a future in this area of East Texas. New businesses will continue to arise and more African-American citizens will participate in the economic development of Cherokee County at all levels. With renewed political interest, they will play a significant role in electing and serving as public officials who understand the needs of all Cherokee County residents. As African Americans in the community continue to realize the economic impact they have had on both past and present Cherokee County, our area will reap the benefits and blessings of living in a community where everyone appreciates their neighbor’s place at the American table.

Dr. Richard Hackney, a native of Cherokee County, is an active member of the Cherokee County Historical Commission.Among the first African Americans to receive a PharmD in Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee, he is the owner of Hackney & Associates pharmacy consultant firm, serving corporate clients throughout the Texas region. As a husband, father of two and grandfather of eight, Dr. Hackney remains committed to serving the community as a deacon in Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, Bullard.