The Mineola Historical Museum hosted “Then and Now,” a Black History Month Program on Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Addie McFarland Center. Community members and high school students attended the event. 

Guest speakers included Tillman Cooke, Carlist Brinkley and Captain Gary Pinkerton. Rose Johnson provided music, and refreshments were served.

Cooke is a retired educator of over three decades. He took program attendees back to 1619 with the arrival of African indentured servants in America before taking them through a brief excursion through history. 

Cooke pointed out those who have made great accomplishments as African Americans have risen up from slavery.

Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent crewed spaceflights.

Ronald Erwin McNair was an American NASA astronaut and physicist. He died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, in which he was serving as one of three mission specialists in a crew of seven.

Carl Gardner was an American singer, best known as the foremost member and founder of The Coasters. Known for the 1958 song “Yakety Yak,” he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Willie Neal Johnson was an American gospel singer, who became known as “Country Boy” for his rootsy blues-driven style and his down-to-earth, friendly personality.

“We still have a long way to go but we have to stick together to accomplish our goals,” stated Cooke. 

Brinkley is on the Mineola Civic Center board of directors, is a former MISD school board member, retired from the U.S. Army as a first class sergeant and retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He remains active in Mineola where he grew up.

As he stood in the same room at Addie McFarland Community Center where he first started school in 1962, he recalled what it was like for him as a young boy of mixed race. In 1966, the schools integrated but Brinkley said he can’t speak of many negatives of that time. 

“Yes, it was hard because they had to accept us and we had to accept them, but we had to all get along.”

It was at Mineola High School that he was introduced to agriculture and FFA. It opened doors of opportunity for him but he was often met with racism. However, it did not change who he wanted to be. In college, he majored in agriculture and refused to let the stereotype of ag being related to slavery deter him. 

“In agriculture, I saw independence. I saw ranchers and farmers that didn’t have to go to a job. They acquired wealth and passed it on. I took a different perspective.”

After college, he worked for Texas Department of Agriculture as a milk inspector. Even with his accomplishments, he was still met with racism. He remembered a time of going swimming at a hotel and everyone leaving the pool when he jumped in. The next day, he noticed the pool was drained. Still, he didn’t let it deter him.

He joined the Army where his perspective continued to change. He said that in the Army, no one saw skin color; they only saw one color - green. 

After retiring from the military, he began to work for the postal service. He was told that he would never be a supervisor, but he advanced quickly. There are many things that he never thought he would be able to do because of the color of his skin, but he has exceeded his own expectations. 

“It has been challenging, but I aligned education with opportunity. The outcome has been good for me. I have never let anything from my past dictate my future.”

In closing, Brinkley said, “Don’t focus on your past so much that you can not see your future. You can be anything you want to be. You have to put in the time, effort and energy. Education is personal. Your career is personal. You have to be committed.” 

Gary Pinkerton is the director of pretrial release and personal bond officer for the Smith County courthouse. As a young man, he started his career as a jailer and worked his way up in the ranks under the guidance of long-time Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith. At only 26 years old, Pinkerton was promoted to lieutenant. 

“I faced adversity and had challenges, but I followed the rules and regulations and it worked out,” said Pinkerton.

He spoke of the men who have inspired and paved the way for him.

Walter Moses Burton was the first black elected sheriff in the United States. He was born into slavery, but his owner taught him to read and write. After emancipation, he purchased land from his former owner, became active in politics, and was elected as sheriff and tax collector in Fort Bend County. He went on to serve four terms as a Texas Senator.

In 1955 in Tyler, four African American men became police officers. They could only patrol the black communities and were not allowed to arrest white people. They were given the worst equipment and uniforms, but they stayed vigilant. 

“They were trailblazers,” declared Pinkerton.

He encouraged the younger generation to do their best and seek after their dreams. “People will tell you that you can’t do things, but stay focused and make good decisions.”