VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi city is honoring its first Black police officers, decades after the men were hired in a deeply segregated community.
Officials gathered Wednesday to unveil a monument to the officers known as the “Lucky Seven,” the Vicksburg Post reported.
Roosevelt Bunch, James “Boo” Chiplin, Walter Cole, Clyde Harris, Tom Harris, Joe Minor and Herman Reddick were hired in the early 1960s.
“These officers truly exemplified bravery in the face of adversity,” said the current Vicksburg police chief, Milton Moore.
The seven officers patrolled by foot in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. They could not arrest any white person.
“These officers sacrificed a lot while still being dedicated, committed and passionate about their profession,” Moore said. “They all served with dignity and grace, all while making approximately $300 a month.”
Chiplin is the only one of the seven officers still living.
“I thank God for this opportunity to be here on this day at this time in Vicksburg,” Chiplin said during the ceremony to unveil the monument.
“We were a group of seven black officers and we became friends,” he said. “We took a challenging job at a difficult time because we wanted to make a difference. We wanted to make our families proud and to serve our community and we did make a difference.”
Chiplin’s daughter, Lutha Chiplin Hunt, brought her family from Natchez to the ceremony.
“It’s such an honor being the child of someone who made changes in a city like this,” she said.
Mayor George Flaggs said the story of the Lucky Seven needs to be told.
“These seven blessed men took the hit for us,” Flaggs said. “In order to patrol these streets, you had to be bold. This is the day when we honor what police really are. They are here to protect and serve with honor, with dignity and with pride.”
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