There isn't a lot of information about
today's FBF, Horatio Julius Homer. He grew up on a farm in
Farmington, Connecticut. In 1873 he worked in a shoe factory and then
a steamship in Boston. By 1878 he was assigned as a patrolman. Now, I
have never been to Boston. Have no desire to go to Boston. But what I
do know about Boston is that I do not like their accents and that
there is a lot of racism there. So the fact that Homer became the
first Black police officer in Boston that long ago is pretty
damned incredible. By 1895 he was made a sergeant.
Over a 40 year
career he worked for about a dozen commissioners. It is said that he
like Greek literature, was a Republican, and memorized a poem each
day. The main reason any of this information about him is even known
is because in 2010 Margaret Sullivan, a Boston police archivist, and
Bob Anthony an officer in East Boston did the homework. After that,
his unmarked grave was finally treated with proper respect.
Click here for previous Famous Black
Firsts.
The main reason Sgt. Homer was even recognized here in Boston was because those of us at MAMLEO (Mass. Assoc. of Minority Law Enforcement Officers) were, and have been, making sure that ALL people in our community, and others, know the struggle we (as Black Officers) went through and continue to go through. We arranged for Sgt. Homer's daughters to come to Boston in order to recognize him (with a dedication ceremony). And we also petitioned for (and received) his name on a street sign in front of our association headquarters.
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