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.
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