Mrs. Hattie Bailey Perry, an educator, a humanitarian, and a community activist, was born in DeSota Parish, Mansfield, Louisiana in the late 1880’s. Her parents, John and Louise Amanda Roundtree Perry, moved the family to Shreveport when Hattie was a very young child. Because of the lack of opportunity for a public education for African American children during that period, her parents sent her to a local private school.

After grade school, the family sent her off to East Texas to earn her high school credits at the Wiley College Preparatory School in Marshall, Texas. Later, she enrolled in Wiley College to study to become a teacher. Mrs. Perry earned the A.B. degree in Education and began her teaching career in the Caddo Parish Public Schools in 1922 with her first appointment at Mooretown Elementary School. She later taught at Brooks Street Elementary School in what is known as the Cross Town area until retirement.

In 1910, she married Oscar Richardson and to that union was born one child, a son, Arthur Herbert Richardson. The son was an avid golfer and a local tournament winner. He also was a member of the Lakeside Golf Association, Shreveport’s oldest association (organized in 1959) for African American golfers. He died in the 1980’s.

Mrs. Perry was a member of St. James United Methodist Church (Snow Street) while a youth, but in her later years, she affiliated with the Fairfield United Methodist Church. She served faithfully in many capacities. Outstanding among all was her leadership role as president of "The Women’s Society of Christian Services." This auxiliary mission are of the Methodist Church advocated and provided for the well-being of women and children wherever that need was found…spiritual, educational, or recreational.

Mrs. Hattie B. Perry, a community service pioneer, strongly believed and viewed recreation as a vital and essential service for all citizens, particularly for growing and energetic children and youth. As a result, she set out to find ways and means to achieve her goals…to secure a clean safe and spacious place for children to play with some level of supervision. She often used the saying, "I think the Lord not only expects us to try to improve ourselves, but to always look out for the well-being of the children."

The Hollywood Park early existence was largely due to the unceasing effort of Mrs. Perry. In 1938, with the help of people such as Mrs. Effie Stinger Nash and Miss Aline L. Smith, Mrs. Perry was able to purchase 21 lots off Hollywood Avenue to be used as a playground. Those lots belonged to Mrs. I.L. Heidingfied, a white landowner in the area. Mrs. Perry’s efforts to secure a park for Southwest Shreveport began with her leadership of the Hollywood Community Club, which later merged with the Hollywood Civic Club. The Hollywood Civic Club, an affiliate of the National Council of Colored Women’s Clubs, is still actively serving in the community. Hollywood was primarily an African American community of homeowners.

During all of her years as a community leader, Mrs. Perry worked tirelessly to get the city to accept the fact that African Americans in Mooretown-Hollywood needed a playground center. Finally, she was able to see the fruits of her efforts materialize when the park for Mooretown-Hollywood opened. The park had eight swings, stands, and a well-mowed and lighted softball field. In 1958, this park was the first to have a gymnasium added. In 1954, C.W. Bogan, director of the Hollywood Playground, was appointed "general supervisor of all city owned and operated parks for Negroes." He was the first African American to hold a Shreveport city park supervisor’s position.

Mrs. Perry was involved in more than 10 civic, religious and social organizations. Among those were the Eastern Stars, Hollywood Camellia Club, City Federation of Clubs, National Council of Negro Women and the Beta Omega Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. As the leading charter member, she was responsible for bringing a chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho national sorority to this city. She served as the new chapter’s first president. She was cited by several organizations that included the Shreveport City Council. The Council rewarded her for her many good deeds by naming one of the City’s parks in her honor.

When receiving the proclamation, Mrs. Perry said, "I hope that throughout the years, I can continue to live as the Lord has let me. I hope you will never regret naming the park after me." Later she was also named "Woman of the Year" in 1952 for her community and humanitarian contributions by the Zeta Iota Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Mrs. Perry’s mother was the first African American woman in Louisiana to become an ordained minister in the Methodist Church. She pastored several small rural churches in the Shreveport area. As a missioner, she was known for "doing good" toward needy families and young preachers.

Mrs. Perry’s sister, Irma Green Jackson and her husband, Dr. Leroy A. Jackson, Sr., followed Mrs. Perry’s lead and dedicated their careers and lives to helping others, also. Dr. Jackson never hesitated to freely and willingly provide medical care to the needy. Mrs. Jackson died in 1998, three months prior to her 97th birthday. She too, was an outstanding organizer, leader and worker in the community. Mrs. Jackson, as principal of Brooks Street Elementary School for 25 years, was known throughout the city for always finding sources of help for the children in her school. A very high percentage of her "boys and girls" graduate high school, completed college and returned to the Caddo Parish School System as teachers, counselors and principals.

Mrs. Perry’s deed inspired others to serve. In 1956, Shreveport Parks and Recreation listed only four recreation facilities for African Americans: (1) Hattie Perry Park, (2) Lincoln Park, (3) Lakeside Park and Pool, and (4) Lakeside Golf Course. Those first facilities were primarily outdoor spaces. By the late 1970’s the A.B. Palmer Park in Cedar Grove; Airport Park in Mooretown; and the David Raines and Lear/Hawkins Parks in the Cooper Road community were opened in the African American neighborhoods.

Mrs. Hattie B. Perry died on July 20, 1968 in Shreveport. She was survived by four grandchildren, Charlotte Ann Richardson, Jacqueline Richardson Lyon, Irma Jewell Richardson King, and George Melvil Richardson; one nephew Dr. Leroy A. Richardson, Jr. and five great grandchildren; three cousins, Mrs. Lula B. Thompson (valuable researcher who provided much of this information), Mrs. Janie Williams and Mrs. Zelma Cox.

We salute Mrs. Hattie B. Perry!