By Jennifer Holmes

Contributing Writer

RESERVE – The newly renovated Reserve library was packed Monday evening with adults and students alike as they eagerly listened to Dr. Ralph Cassimere Jr. present a lecture regarding the history of the River Parishes’ civil rights movement and tackle the misconceptions and myths about slavery, the black vote and how civil rights are progressing today in celebration of Black History Month.

He quickly gained his audience’s attention by challenging the notion that Louisiana slaves were among an elite group that were properly cared for and generally devoted to the plantation lifestyle.

“People like to believe that our slaves would never take part in (a rebellion). They were always very well maintained … very polite, very beautiful,” said Cassimere. “The records we have show all the slaves in the Charles Deslonde rebellion were all native to Louisiana. So, when freedom came, they were the first to go.”

Cassimere then marched forward in time and confronted preconceived conceptions about facts surrounding the Civil War and Louisiana’s involvement. Even though Louisiana was a Confederate state, he argued it had the most Unionists — a very large number of blacks and whites alike, more so than any other southern state.

Audience members seemingly smiled in unison and questioned history, pondering the attitudes and efforts of their ancestors.

The lecture then covered progressive moments until it hit a major phenomenon in the early 1900s. Black involvement seemed to reach an all time high, with 1,350 registered voters in Louisiana. But this movement did not last. In 1922 the number dropped to 592. During this period there was a lot of corruption within the legal system that seemed to snuff out the black vote. Politicians and government officials alike made voter registration extremely difficult for blacks, Cassimere explained.

In the 1940s, the NAACP and other civil rights groups attempted to reveal injustice and end voting corruption. In 1946, Edward Hall and residents of St. John the Baptist Parish brought forward and won a voter registration lawsuit ending unfair practices in the parish. This began the pursuit to end the practices used to exclude blacks from voting statewide. In 1965 blacks were finally granted true voting rights, and within a 10-year span from 1965 to 1975 black voter registration rose significantly. By Gov. John J. McKeithen’s second term (1968-72), 90 percent of blacks voted.

With all the history that has been made in the River Parishes regarding civil rights, the audience was eager to hear Cassimere’s assessment of current civil right activities. Unfortunately, within the last 30 years, Cassimere said he has noticed a lack of enthusiasm within the civil rights community.

According to Cassimere, the common good has been tainted by selfishness, and people tolerate corruption from those in leadership positions. They are too focused, he said, on the individual and have less affirmation of a national identity.

But Cassimere believes there is hope and encourages everyone to learn from history and understand change happens because people realize something is missing and get involved to promote change. He hopes people to will come together and do something together again.

“Each of us is only one person and can make difference,” said Cassimere.

This was his third lecture in celebration of Black History Month, and with his educational background, personal efforts within the River Parishes and keen sense of humor, his popularity comes as no surprise.

According to Tammy Houston, St. John Library administrative services coordinator, “He is knowledgeable about African Americans in the River Parishes. We thought it would be good invite him to commemorate Black History Month and inaugurate our newly renovated library branch.”

Cassimere is a New Orleans native. He attended the University of New Orleans for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, then attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., where he attained his Doctor of Philosophy degree in history.

Since 1960, Cassimere has been a member of the NAACP and held various offices within, is the founding member of the Louisiana Black Culture Commission and has been a professor at the University of New Orleans for the past 40 years.

“He kept the audience entertained and voiced his opinion,” said Houston.