The Tribune
The 2020 U.S. Census shows that 1.22% or 571 of the 46,428 people living in Jackson County were Black.
Although the number is small, those Blacks living here and many who have come before have left their mark on the community.
To highlight their contributions — and personal struggles with racial discrimination — during February, which is Black History Month, the city of Seymour has been telling some of their stories on its Facebook page. We here at The Tribune applaud that effort.
One of the first to be featured is Pauline Harrison McDougal, who moved to Seymour from Hamilton, Ohio, in 1940. She raised six children on her own after her husband, Leon McDougal, was killed in a traffic accident. Pauline served as a volunteer with the Bethel AME Church 4-H Club, Girl Scouts, League of Women Voters, Seymour Girls Club and other organizations. She also was the program director at the Girls Club.
In the early 1950s, McDougal decided to try to change a policy that allowed minorities to use the only public swimming pool at Shields Park in Seymour on the last day of August, just before the pool was drained for the close of the season. At the start of the season, she marched her scared daughter up to the pool office and stated she wanted to sign her up for swimming lessons. The office manager tried to explain to her how that would be impossible.
Without fanfare or the backing of civil rights organizations and laws, she persevered. She met alone with city leaders to discuss the wrongs of this issue. The color barrier was torn down, and everyone had access to the pool.
The list also includes Blanche Maddex, who was born on July 29, 1909, and died at 91 on March 24, 2001. She was a homemaker, appointed preacher, evangelist, missionary, gospel recording artist and a jail chaplain. She and her husband, William “Walking Bill” Smith, were traveling evangelists. Many remember Blanche for running the Goodwill Center in Seymour for many years. In 1974, she received Sertoma’s Service to Mankind Award.
Although she had faced problems of racial discrimination, Blanche told The Tribune in 1989 she didn’t consider skin color in her efforts to help others.
“Color don’t mean nothing,” she said. “It’s your heart that counts.”
John Richey, who was born in Seymour in 1946 and proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, also is recognized.
Richey, who died Oct. 4, 2021, had a heart for his community and others, giving back in many ways. He was actively involved in the Masonic organization, including the Shriners, and served on the Seymour Community School Corp. board of trustees and Seymour Board of Zoning Appeals. He also was the owner of Jim’s Body Shop, which his father started in 1955. John’s sons now run the business.
And then there’s Dr. Debra Ladd, who completed medical school at the University of Louisville in 1983 and completed her residency there in 1986. That same year, she joined Schneck Medical Center as the hospital’s first staff anesthesiologist. After nearly 40 years at the Seymour hospital, she is planning to retire later this month.
Ladd says a positive attitude has helped her overcome any subtle societal or professional discrimination she has felt along the way, beginning in grade school when she was afraid to raise her hand in class for fear of being considered too smart by her fellow students.
“You can run into bad attitudes anywhere,” she said. “It’s how you react to those attitudes that is most important. You can choose to ignore comments or attitudes, but you also have to know when to speak up. You cannot be a doormat.”
We’re sure there are other Blacks who have had an impact on the community or moved away and have done great things elsewhere. If you know of someone, contact January Rutherford, the city’s public information specialist, at [email protected] for possible inclusion on the city’s Facebook page.