Juan DeRahn Matthews

Here’s a history of firsts in our black community to be treasured always:

1. First Black Funeral Home: Mr. P.J. Fowler.

2. First Black Motel Owner: Frank Nixon (Nixon Motor Court 1946).

3. First Black Land Owner: Matt Wilson.

4. First Black Mail Man: Lonnie Johnson, Jr.

5. First Black Cab Driver: Buck Turner.

6. First Black Store Owner: Precious Daniels.

7. First Black Teacher to Work in an All White School Before Integration: Mrs. Ora Delle Mack (1966, the original Tift County Junior High/Current Administration Building). Also a founding member of TIFWILAR and first black editor of TIFWILAR and was instrumental in getting roads paved on south side of town with Charles Kent.

8. First Black Person to Own a Franchise Restaurant: James Thomas, Quizno’s.

9. First Black Licensed Beautician: Mrs. Annie Johnson.

10. First Black Admin Assistant to Serve in the Vice-President of Academic Affairs and the President’s Office: Fran Kinchen.

11. First Black President of the State of Georgia Professional Secretaries Association: Fran Kinchen.

12. First Black Customer Services Manager for the City: Sheila Tucker.

13. First Black Lawyer andJudge: The Honorable Larry Mims.

14. First Black Dry Cleaner: Jeff Mathis.

15. First Black Barbershop: Ira Bryant, Sr.

16. First Black Restaurant Owner: Ella Smith.

17. First Black Restaurant Owner From Tifton To Own A Restaurant That Celebrities Frequent: Mr. Charles Raye (The Pink Tea Cup has been featured in New York Times and other magazines).

18. First Black Masonry Company: John “Johnny” Mathis.

19. First Black Nurse: Mrs. Evelyn Johnson Bynes.

20. First Black Director Of Nursing: Mrs. Bernice Gray.

21. First Black Editor Of TIFWILAR: Mrs. Ora Delle Mack.

22. First Black Female To Run The Department Of Motor Vehicle: Sharon Hodges-Turner.

23. First Black Head Librarian: Katheryn Kimber.

24. First Black Owned Library: Mrs. Katheryn Kimber (She took her own personal books and money to start the library for all in the black community. She got some donations from ABAC and other places. Industrial owned the property and let her use the building for free. She worked free of charge and kept the library open everyday after school and all day during the summer. She initiated a summer reading program that culminated in a big party for all participants with prizes given to the top three students who read the most books at the end of summer. Eternal thanks to this outstanding visionary! They moved the library building down to the Litman Gym next to the graveyard after she started to work in the library at Industrial. This is when Thurmond Walker came aboard!).

25. First Black Homecoming Queen: Mrs. Jaquelyn Smith (Valedictorian Class Of 1958).

26. First Black Service Station Owner: Jeff Mathis.

27. First Black Head Majorettes: Anniebelle Chester and Ocedine Foster & Betty Marie Bryant.

28. First Black Police Officers: Frank Revels, Earl Rivers & Morris Alexander.

29. First Black Doctor: Dr. Hill (Oldknow Gray’s father).

30. First Black Dentist: Dr. Alfred Mott.

31. First Black Valedictorians Before Integration: Alma Varnadore Reese and Ethel Grace Henry (Class Of 1948).

32. First Black Cheerleaders: Velma Long, Mildred Glover Poole, Mary Phillips, Juanita Mccray and Juanita Fowler.

33. First Black Social Club: Cabin In The Pines, owner Ezell Wilson (Daughter Of Matt Wilson).

34. First Black Church: Springfield Baptist (First Location: Froggy Bottom) 1878.

35. First Black Ice Cream Parlor: Mr. Joe Reid.

36. First Black Garbage Collector: Mr. Lonnie Johnson, Sr.

37. First Black Man To Feed The Homeless: Mr. Lonnie Johnson, Sr. (Every Jan. 1 he killed hogs and gave livestock, vegetables, and sugarcane to those who were in need!)

38. First Black Deputy: Jake Walker.

39. First Black Coach: Arthur Mott.

40. First Black Chauffeur: Frank Nixon (For Harding Tift, founder of Tift County).

41. First Black Bails Bondman and Vault Owner: Bill Gray.

42. First Black Midwife: Mrs. Rosa Haley.

43. First Black Pastor: Reverend Whittacker (Springfield).

44. First Black Owner of an Insurance Agency: Southview Insurance Agency.

45. First Black Person To Sell Peanuts: Mr. Ben Jordan (He was blind and famous for shouting “Fresh boiled or parched!”).

46. First Black Opera Singer From Tifton: Grace Savage.

47. First Black Singer From Tifton To Sign Major Record Deal: Willie Mallory (D. March 2016).

48. First Black Person To Head Department Of Labor: Mr. Pete Pertilla.

49. First Black Welder: Mr. Bay Copeland.

50. First Black Quarterback: Rev. Willie Booth.

51. First Black Male Majorette: Norman Becton.

52. First Black Dental Assistant: Mrs. Carrie Tucker.

53. First Black Student to Attend College from 11th Grade: Preston Yancey (Class Of 1955).

54. First Black Airline Stewardess: Linda Bryant (Featured in Jet Magazine as a Beauty Of The Week).

55. First Black Radio/TV Personality: Nathaniel (Fat Daddy) Harris. The name of the show was “The Gospel Train.”

56. First Black Female Group: Twilight Spiritual Chorus (Evelyn Johnson Bynes, Mildred Glover, Wilma Glover, Mary Phillips, Ruby Phillips and Mrs. Odelle Martin, pianist and manager).

57. First Black Male Group: The Mighty Crusaders (Willie Mallory, A.D. Wright, Ernest Roberts, Bill Lundy, Dennis Lundy and Sam Lundy).

58. First Black Person to Work in a Post Office: Saul Pertilla (Custodian).

59. First Black Pool Hall Owner: One Leg Red.

60. First Black Fortune Teller: Ms. Dicey Edwards.

61. First Black Televison Owners: Mrs. Margaret Yancy and Mrs. Ella Bryant (Folks paid ten cents to see Westerns on Saturday mornings, 9 a.m. to noon).

62. First Black Insurance Agents: Mrs. Odelle Martin, Mr. Lee Brannon and Mrs. Lillie Belle Horton-Washington.

63. First Black Teacher In Tifton: Mrs. Allie Mae Holt Turrentine (married to Otis Turrentine and lived where Troy Stanley lives today).

64. First Black Teacher Of The Year: Mrs. Fannie Mott.

65. First Black Seamstress: Mrs. Florene Faison.

66. First Black Carpenter: Mr. Ashley Monroe.

67. First Black Hairstylist from Tifton to Appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show: David Dalee Henderson.

68. First Black Drum Major: David Dalee Henderson.

69. First Black Teachers from Tifton to Teach on a Collegiate Level: Dr. Bob Yancy (Omega Psi Phi) and Mrs. Alma Varnadore Reese (Delta Sigma Theta For 70 Years).

70. First Black Classicaly Trained Organist: Mrs. Oldknow ‘Make That Organ Talk’ Gray (Formed first choir in Tifton). Lead Soloist: Wilma Glover (Famous for singing “I’ve Been Touched by the Love of Jesus) The Myon Motel would request this choir to sing this song! They were not allowed to sit but sing, receive standing ovation and get back on bus.

71. First Black Woman from Tifton to Enter the Military: Janet Betty Edwards.

72. First Black Paint and Body Shop Owner: Mr. Jessie Henderson.

73. First Black Band Teacher: Mr. Allen.

74. First Black Graduate from Tifton to be Miss Freshman at Fort Valley State University: Mrs. Ethelle Varnadore Mathis (Graduated With Honors, Class of 1944).

75. First Black Vice Chairman of Board of Commissioners: Daughtery Melton.

76. First Black Lawn Mower Shop Owner: Pete Collier.

77. First Black Car Dealership Owner: Junior Goins, Sr.

78. First Black Deejay: J.L. Bennett (WTIF Radio).

79. First Black School Bus Driver: Dawyer Jones.

80. First Black Sporting Complex: Litman Gym.

81. First Black Lifeguard: Glenn “Soup” Gray.

82. First Black Church To Have Certified Daycare: Beaulah Hill (512 Location) Rev. Kenneth Glover.

83. First Black Funeral Home Built From The Ground Up (Southview Mortuary, four locations).

84. First Black Principal: Milton Dees.

85. First Black Jailer: Donnell Collins.