Center highlights contributions to agriculture by blacks

Southwest Center for Rural Initiative director LaVonya Malveaux, left talks with professor Owusu Bandele at the Opelousas City Market.

The Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives in partnership with Agromen Inc., hosted a presentation entitled “The Deep Roots of our Land-Based Heritage” Feb. 25 at the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Southern University Ag Center professor Owusu Bandele explained the many contributions of blacks around us every day, especially in the agriculture industry. "Often people believe our only accomplishments were in the field of labor, but in fact we have a rich history in terms of inventions," said Bandele.

LaVonya Malveaux director, Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives, said the program was part of her group's efforts to celebrate Black History Month. "If our youth don't get this information, it is going to be lost," Malveaux added.

In his slide show, accented with jazz, blues and contemporary music with an agricultural theme, Bandele spoke of some of the many contributions of Louisiana African Americans, from the New Orleans farmer who invented the modern sugar refining technology to others who have invented everything from planters to harvesters and processors.

Bandele mentioned several black inventors from W. B. Purvis, who invented the fountain pen, to Garrett Augustus Morgan, the inventor of the traffic light.

Other program sponsors were the St. Landry Parish Retired Educators' Association and the St. Landry Parish Southern University Alumni.

To read more, visit the Opelousas Daily World.