Black History Celebration was held Sunday, February 23, 2025 at the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church where the Rev. Dr. Reginald L. Staten is pastor. The guest speaker for the occasion was Dr. George Noflin, Director of the Black Male Initiative/Call Me MISTER Program at Grambling State University.

The mission of the Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background particularly among the State’s lowest performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among underserved, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities.

James E. Bradford – First black elected to the Jackson Parish Police Jury and first black to be elected its president.
James “Spike” Harris – First black elected Chief of Police for the Town of Jonesboro.
Percy Lee Bradford (presented posthumously) received by Doris Marzett – First black elected Alderman for the Town of Jonesboro, LA
Reverend Dr. Reginald L. Staten – Pastor at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church
Bertha Bradford Robinson (presented posthumously) received by Yumeaka Washington – First black female student to attend Louisiana Tech University.
Yumeaka Robinson Washington, Esq. – First black female to serve as Assistant District Attorney for the 2nd Judicial District (Jackson, Bienville & Claiborne Parishes) and the first black City Judge of Jonesboro.
Dr. Liz Barnes White – First black to join the faculty at Louisiana Tech University and the first to be promoted to the rank of full professor there
Mable Barnes Houston – First black student to attend Jonesboro-Hodge High School.
Aleane Barnes Hayes (not pictured) – First black female elected to the Jackson Parish School Board.
Brenda Joe Jefferson (not pictured) – First black to be employed by the Jackson Parish Tax Assessor’s Office.