Brownwood News –
February is Black History Month. Brownwoodnews.com will run a series of articles this month about some of the early Black leaders in Brown County. This is the third in the series.
Of all the leaders in the Black community in Brown County’s history, arguably none is more beloved than Cecil Holman. Leading by example, he lived a life of honest work, humility, grace, and humor. Indeed, he was considered by many to be the unofficial alternate Mayor of Brownwood.
Cecil Holman was born in Coleman, Texas on February 5, 1911. He attended school there through the eighth grade. “Coleman didn’t offer any more classes and my momma wanted me to go to high school,” Holman explained. So he mounted a donkey and rode it to Brownwood to continue his education. He was fourteen years old, and had $1.08 in his pocket.