Earl R. Pearson became the first #BlackChief of the Texas Rangers in April 2004. He rose to the highest rank of the Rangers at a time when 63% of the organization as white, 24% was Latinx & only 12% was Black & Indigenous.
At his appointment, he voiced that he “wanted the state’s police force to mirror the population of the state” & made a commitment to leave the #TexasRangers force a little bit better than he had found it. His term as #Chief of the Texas Rangers lasted 1 year & 4 months.
Back row: Clayton Smith, Joe Davis, Jim Denman, George Turner, Jim Miller, James Ray, Fred Cummings, Ronny Brownlow. Front row: Capt. Bob Prince, Ray Nutt, Johnny Waldrip, John Aycock, Ray Coffman, Lt. Earl Pearson. Image Link: https://texasranger.pastperfectonline.com/photo/40B7FF13-9BDF-47DF-B730-992311385775
After graduating from Abilene’s McMurry College (@mcmuniv) & #TexasDPS Academy in 1975, he was assigned to duty in the Highway Patrol at El Paso. During the following 10 years Pearson went on to serve various regions including Snyder, Abilene, Houston, Brenham & Waco.
In 1989 Pearson became the 2nd #BlackMan in the Texas Rangers, in their modern iteration under #TexasDPS. The 44th #TexasLegislature created the department on August 10, 1935. By that Sep the modern-day Ranger force began operating within it.
https://www.texasalmanac.com/articles/the-texas-rangers-from-horses-to-helicopters
Article link about DPS/Tx Rangers from 2015: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/history-culture/article/10-things-to-know-about-DPS-troopers-on-their-6438320.php
Pearson’s post followed that of Lee Roy Young, the 1st #BlackRanger appointed to the modern-day organization the previous July, 1988. Both #Blackmen, Pearson & Young, & their respective promotion into the Texas Rangers had been a long time coming.
The appointments of #BlackTexasRangers were forced by pressure from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which had repeatedly called to end #DPS’s discriminatory promotion system & their unfair practices against minorities. #TxNAACP
In Feb of 1989 #TxDPS faced complaints from 30 #BlackTroopers who decried being passed over for promotions, denied transfers & subjected to other discrimination. The #NAACP wanted change given that only 2% of #LawEnforcement supervisors in the department were #Black.
The threat of further protests & lawsuits prompted #TxDPS to diversify. Beyond Lee Roy Young & Earl Pearson, Jesse Mack also joined them in 1994 as the 3rd #BlackTexasRanger appointed. Right after, Javier De Los Santos was also hired as the 6th modern #Hispanic Ranger.
Link: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-23-vw-395-story.html
In 1999, Pearson was promoted to Captain in the Texas Rangers & posted in Houston. By 2001 he earned the title of #AssistantChief. Since, he has served in many capacities such as in the Cold Case Squad & as Firearms Instructor among others, & served various #TexasCommunities.
Earl Pearson served #RangerCompanies A, F, & HQ in Brenham, Austin, Houston, & Waco for almost #30yrs before retiring on August 31, 2005. While he received much recognition for his accomplishments, he also faced equally great criticism for his #PolicingTactics. This criticism included the wrongful conviction of Anthony Graves, a poor Black man from East Texas who was sentenced to death and subjected to lengthy solitary confinement before his conviction was vacated.
Graves’ experiences should remind us that the diversification of police forces has not necessarily led to less racist, less violent, or more equitable policing. Should we be glad that George Floyd and Tyre Nichols were killed by multi-racial squads?
https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-131/the-black-police-policing-our-own/
Rising through the ranks from security supervisor in Jasper to #ChiefTexasRanger must not have been easy. Pearson’s life, accomplishments, & tribulations beg for a better understanding of his experience as a #BlackTexan from #Rotan, and as head of #TexasRangers.
