“African Americans and Labor” was the theme for a Black History Month Celebration this week at Columbus city hall. City Council members handed out Poindexter Awards to longtime OCSEA activist Louella Day-Jeter and OAPSE/AFSCME Council 4 President Lois Carson. The Poindexter Award is named after James Preston Poindexter, the first African American Columbus City Council member, and it honors individuals for their accomplishments in the Columbus community.
Day-Jeter was recognized for leading the Columbus chapter of the Coalition of Back Trade Unionists and for supporting unionization efforts at the State Highway Patrol where she worked for 42 years. “I would just like to say thank you to everyone for coming out for this event and all you’ve done for CBTU,” Louella said. As an OCSEA/AFSCME retiree member activist, Louella continues to serve union members as an Executive Board member of Public Safety Chapter 2505 and OCSEA District Council 6 and Treasurer of the OCSEA Public Safety Assembly.
Besides serving as President of OAPSE, Lois Carson is also a vice president of the Ohio AFL-CIO and member of CBTU and the NAACP. She previously led the Columbus School Employees Association (CSEA). Speaking to union members in the audience, Carson said, “Keep the fight alive, keep the dream alive, because we will continue to protect our sisters and brothers on the front line.”
City Council also gave awards to Curtis Moody, Brian Brooks and Rhonda Johnson, the former president of the Columbus Education Association.