THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 100
African American History
THE BELEAGUERED BOXER - Charles Lee “Killer” Coates was born on September 20, in 1909, in Wilkinson County, Georgia. Many of his family lived on the Old Macon Road, which crossed over into Laurens County. Coates, “The Black Bomber of Akron (Ohio) became a professional boxer under the management of Suey and Chang Welch. He won a few of his 300-plus fights, but lost the biggest fight of his career against Maxie Rosenbloom under the moniker of “Killer Coates.” Known as the hardest-punching boxer in the world, Coates was washed up by the age of thirty. In a move to make boxing less violent, the California Boxing Commission forced Coates to remove “killer” from his name and replaced it with “Dynamite.” For his antics out of the ring, Coates was barred from boxing in California. He died on March 3, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. LA Times, 1/26/36. Nevada Journal, April 4, 1939.
A MOST INTELLIGENT WOMAN - Dr. Capitola Dent Newbern was one of the lucky ones in her community in the mid-1920s. Many African-Americans in Laurens County had few chances to make it in the world because of the social and political bounds of her day. She received a teaching certificate in 1923 from Paine College in Augusta, Ga. Next came a bachelor's degree in education in 1925 from Paine College (1925) and in 1937 with a second major in music from Talladega College. Still not finished with her education, Mrs. Newbern obtained a master's degree in social work from Columbia University School of Social Work in New York (1942) followed by her earning a doctorate in education at the prestigious Teacher’s College at Columbia in New York City (1954.) Still seeking to learn even more, Dr. Newbern finish her studies with a master’s and doctorate in religion from Dayton, Ohio’s United Theological Seminary (1980-1982.) A career student of faith and music, Newbern enrolled in post-doctoral programs at the University of Pennsylvania. While not studying, this brilliant woman taught in high schools, universities, and graduate schools. Dr. Capitola Dent Newbern, church leader and ordained elder of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Known as “Aunt Cap,” Newbern lost her husband, the Rev. Samuel Newbern, in 1949. Her brother, William L. Dent, Sr., was the first black bailiff in Richmond County and the first President of the Augusta Negro Chamber of Commerce. Her long and blessed life ended on July 6, 1996. She was ninety-three and still learning.
WASHINGTON STREET WONDER - Brandon Southern, Jr. was a star football player for Washington Street High School, the predecessor to Oconee High School in Dublin. Southern enrolled at Morris Brown in Atlanta, where he was a star football player, sprinter, and long jumper. Southern was a member of the 1951 Clark team which captured the national SIAC championship in 1951. In his last two seasons at Clark, Southern was named to the SIAC All-American team. After graduation, he stayed at Clark as an assistant football coach. He began his high school and coaching career at Thomaston High School in 1955. In 1997, Southern was named to the SIAC Hall of Fame. Atlanta JC, 9.26.66, 10.28.2001.
EASTMAN STAR - For decades, the young people of Dodge County have excelled at basketball. One of the greatest hardcourter hoopsters was born in Eastman in the early 1940s. He attended Iowa State University in the early 1960s. An outstanding offensive and defensive player, Vince Brewer was named to the Second Team of Big Eight All-Stars in 1963. Later that year, he was drafted in the 6th round by the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers. When he played his last season at Iowa State, Brewer set the all-time career rebound record with 674, a record which has been broken many times in the last fifty-plus years. Desmoines Tribune, Feb. 27, 1963.
ONE FANTASTIC FARMER - Cain Foreman, a Laurens County farmer, was known for his fine farming. One day, Mr. Foreman walked into the office of the Dublin Courier Herald. He wanted to show off the fruits of his labor. Foreman showed the newspapermen his second crop of apples, which he produced during 1921. The second fruit, and it really is a fruit, were pecans, which made two crops during the same year. Tampa Times, 12 .24, 1921.
THE COLORED KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS - Forty-five African American male citizens of Dublin gathered together to organize a lodge. They called their new lodge “The Gem City Lodge 98 of the Knights of Pythias. The initial officers were W.L. Simmons, F.O. Cuyler, R.W. Ketchum, Prof. D.M. Smith, A.L. Simmons, O.B. West, G.P. Proudfoot, N.P. Proudfoot, J.W. Jenkins, John McCall, and H.T. Jones. Dublin Courier Dispatch, Dec. 18, 1902.
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