Changing the Debate on Black Americans and the Criminal Justice System: One Hero at a Time.

The pages of history are filled with the achievement and contributions of Black American heroes in medicine, civil rights, baseball, boxing, literature and other fields of human endeavor. During February of each year we celebrate their accomplishments all over America, in fact, an entire industry has grown up around this historic month.

If you ask any of these questions of the black or white media, who was the first African American to receive a presidential appointment as a United States Marshal, what year was the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives was founded, what city hired the first African American Police officers or how many African American Police have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country, we would be hard pressed for answers.

The accomplishment and contributions of Black Police officers and Police executives in America and their impact on the criminal Justice System as managers, reformers, practictioners or heroes, are simply not studied or celebrated.

The failure to recognize the appointment, the contribution and the impact on the criminal justice system of the most famous African American in the 1800s is a prime example of this neglect. Born a slave, Fredrick Douglas was one of the leading abolitionist and anti-slavery orator, who were appointed by a Republican President as the first presidential appointed United State Marshal in 1877. However, no mention of Douglas's role is made in the Criminal Justice System as a presidential appointed Marshal even though he did grace the history books in other roles.

For the lack of in depth academic study and research, on the role of African Americans as managers, leaders, heroes or reformers, rather, the study has focused primarily on portraying Africans Americans as victims and perpetrators. This in part may explain the reason why historians, black and white media outlets, as well as museums have failed to publicize the accomplishment of the African American men and women who have worn the badge since the early 1800s.

A few black writers like Mr. Art Burton, Dr. Marvin Delaney, and hopefully through the "African Americans in Law Enforcement Traveling Exhibit" created by Robert Moore and Associates based in Springfield, Illinois, we hope to present to America our vision of African American and the Criminal Justice systems as managers, leaders heroes and reformers and not as victims and perpetrators.

In his book Black, Red and Deadly, Mr. Art Burton states that some black gunfighters stories have never been told- In the book he bring to America attention the story of Bass Reeves one of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals that rode for famous Judge Isaac Parker in the Indian Territory in 1875. Reeves who served for 32 year as a deputy Marshal became famous and now statutes at museums are being erected in his honor.

In a recent article in the Arkansas Times, dated November 2006, they reported three important events in the story, First they reported that Reeves is said to have captured more outlaws that the better remembered lawmen of his times; second the article reported that Reeves reputation is about to change 100 years posthumously due to a movement that's underway to erect a statue of him at Fort Smith, Arkansas near the historic site that commemorates Judge Parkers Court. The Fort Smith Rotary Club is leading the fund raising efforts according to the article. Third and final the articles quotes Circuit Judge of Jim D. Spears of Fort Smith as saying "The true story of Bass Reeves is the stuff of legends-legends hidden by decades of racism"

Dr. Marvin Delaney in his cutting edge book "Black Police in America" has produced the most comprehensive works on Black Police and their growth at the municipal level of government. However, Dr. Delaney's book gives us only a partial overview of Black Police at the local levels of government; not State Police, Federal or County Police.

To date, four African American Chief of Police have served as President of the International Association of Chief of Police and Black Chief of Police formed the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives in 1976, which today number over 3000 Police executives nationwide The experience of African American entering into the ranks of Police departments parallels the history of other African Americans entering into other career fields, military, high schools,Universities, politics, voting booths and other facilities. Yet the great accomplishment of these black law enforcement executives remain buried in the minutes of these organization and in the minds of these heroes.

As the United State Marshal, for the Central District of Illinois (1994 to 2002), the pictures of Marshal Douglas and Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves hung on the wall behind my desk as a reminder of their contribution to our history in the United State Marshal Service and in law enforcement since 1875. Historians, the media, museums, academic institutions can utilize these works of Delaney, Burton and Moore as a point of reference in changing the dialogue about African Americans in the Criminal Justice System from victim/perpetrator to leaders, heroes, reformers and managers.

Robert Moore
United States Marshal (ret)
President, Robert Moore & Associates
Police recruitment & exhibits