Andy Rieger for The Transcript Feb 28, 2021
Feb 28, 2021
As Black History month comes to a close, it gives me pause to add a few more local tales to the Feb. 14 column that got a bit lengthy.
That column touched on Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, George McLaurin, Prentice Gaunt and George and Barbara Henderson, all pioneers in Norman race relations.
Etta and Don Johnson integrated the Norman Public School system in the fall of 1956. Etta came first and Don followed.
It happened with little fanfare and none of the controversy that came with school integration in Arkansas.
It helped that both were good students and Don was a gifted athlete. They came from a school in the northeast part of the county.
In the nearly 232-year history of the US Senate there have only been 11 Black senators
Congress set a new diversity record this year with its highest-ever number of women and racial minorities, including 60 Black lawmakers.
People of color have historically had a tougher time getting elected to the Senate. Newly elected Raphael Warnock is only the 11th Black US senator since the Senate convened for the first time in 1789. Only two of those have been women. And with the departure of Kamala Harris, the number of Black female US senators is now at zero.
Voters in urban congressional districts tend to be more diverse and politically progressive, driving the higher number of minorities in the House. But that has had little effect on the number of Black senators.