TEXAS’ Widest Circulated and Read Newspaper with a Black Perspective

Click here to join our mailing list and to receive late-breaking news

Annie Mae Lane Edwards

As the record shows... on September 19, 1906 (in the small town of Mansfield, state of Louisiana), a female child was born to the late Carrie V. 0 'Neal and Eddie Lane who was named Annie Mae. At the time of Annie Mae’s birth, America was just moving into the 20th Century, in which the nation would make more progress than it had since the colonialists had successfully rebelled against England to become a free Republic in 1776. That was also a period of unrest and reform in the emerging world power. Monopolies continued in spite of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. Social problems flourished in the U.S. During the 1910s labor unions continued to grow as the middle classes became more and more unhappy.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in which 145 female workers were killed underscored unsafe working conditions. Children were hired to work in factories, mills, and mines for long hours in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. Though efforts to pass a federal law proved unsuccessful, by the middle of this decade every state had passed a minimum age law. A commission found that up to 20% of the children living in cities were undernourished, education took second place to hunger and while children worked, only one-third enrolled in elementary school and less than 10% graduated from high school. The status of the Negro worsened. Skilled Negro workers were barred from the AFL. Women were also striving for equality. The first suffrage parade was held in 1910 and the 19th amendment finally was ratified in 1919.
However, Louisiana didn’t become part of the United States, until the new nation’s government purchased the vast region in northern America from France, in 1803, that totaled more than 800, 000 square miles in area, and consisting of the territory occupied by the present-day States of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota that was west of the Mississippi River (e.g., New Orleans), North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, nearly all of Kansas, the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado that was east of the Rocky Mountains. The huge province belonged to France, but in 1763, at the end of the Seven Years' War, an international conflict involving a number of major European powers, it passed to Spain. In 1800 by a secret treaty, it was returned to France with the understanding that if France ever gave it up it would go again to Spain.
In 1802 France committed two acts that Pres. Thomas Jefferson regarded as hostile. French forces were sent to New Orleans and to Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic), to quell a rebellion there, and the right of deposit, the privilege previously accorded U.S. merchants of depositing goods at New Orleans pending transshipment, was withdrawn. Here, “whitewashed” American history, teach America’s public school students that Thomas Jefferson was the hero, when it came to closing the deal for Louisiana. Nevertheless, African American News & Issues’ research reveals that the Haitian revolution turned the tide for America. For sure, Jefferson did, indeed, send American statesman James Monroe to Paris to aid the American minister to France, Robert R. Livingston.
They also attempted to effect one of four possible plans advantageous to the U.S.: (1) the pur-chase of eastern and western Florida and New Orleans; (2) the purchase of New Orleans alone; (3) the purchase of land on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, to build an American port; or (4) the acquisition of perpetual rights of naviga-tion and deposit. However, it were newly freed Hispaniola slaves, under the leadership of Toussiant L’Ouverture, that helped France repel England that held the island in 1793-1798. To make a long story short, when Napoleon reneged on his promise of independence, Toussiant led another revolution in 1801. The revolt spoiled Napoleon’s plan to invade America via Louisiana. In essence Hispaniola prevented Napoleon would have declared war on America.
Need we explain how Hispaniola became Haiti, an independent nation? For sure, it didn’t happen nothing like you’ll learn in American History classes, insofar as it was a former slave named Henri Christophe, who actually led the victorious Haitians when they finally ran Napoleon’s defeated troops off the island kingdom, almost two years after Toussiant died in a French jail.
Unfortunately, historians prefer the other versions, insofar as it still angers European nations when they are reminded that African slaves defeated a world power. In fact, Haiti’s victory is responsible for America’s anti-Haiti refugeee policy. Then again, that’s another story, for another time. Meanwhile, Annie Mae, who had blossomed into a fine, young lady, was finishing Johnson School in DeSota Parish. In 1925 she caught Solomon Edwards Sr.’s eye and became his wife. to this union nine children were born, Olivia, James, Lorece, Lizzie, Vera, Leon, Solomon Jr., Floyd and William. She worked for Mr. Kyle Porter for over 50 years. She was a lifetime member of the Eastern Star of Mansfield. Annie Mae, found the Lord at the age 12 and became a dedicated member of Friendship BC, in Grand Cane, Louisiana until she relocated to Houston, Texas. She joined Gethsemane MBC, under the leadership of Rev. Dennis C. Jones, where she served in the choir, taught Sunday school and was a member of the Martha Circle.
She was also a member of the W.I. T. Group. Though she lived in Houston, she still loved and supported Friendship in its annual days, until her health failed. On April 10, 2004 the Lord sent his death angel to get his servant. She was preceded is death by: Husband, Solomon Sr., children: Olivia, Lorece, Leon, Floyd, Vera Mae, DeLloyd; and granddaughter, Evelyn Jean. Her life was celebrated at Gethsemane MBC, 8775 Flagship Dr., on April 17, 2004, with Rev. Dennis Jones officiating. Nan Turner, of Shreveport, La., Rev. Willie Claiborne Sr., Sis. Kavon Bourgeois, Bro. O. L. Lattin, Charlie O’Neal, Kay Claiborne and Rev. Darrell Williams participated in the order of service. Active pallbearers were: Wayne Autry, Eddie Bradley, Floyd Edwards III, VanIven Fuller, Lloyd Edwards, Mark Quarles and Reginald Edwards.
Annie Mae leaves to cherish her memory: Three children: James Benny, Lizzie B. and Solomon, Jr. all of Houston, Texas, a dear niece, Genevieve Etheridge (Birmingham, AI); fifteen grandchildren, nineteen great-grand children, four great-great grandchildren, and a host of other relatives, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Honorary pallbearers were: Adam Anderson, Rev. Willie Claiborne Sr., James Edwards, Raymond Hunter, Harry Porter, Isaac Claiborne Jr., Willie Coleman, Solomon Edwards Jr. and Charlie O’Neal.