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In
October 1994, Black ran successfully for the District 12 seat on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, representing the Broodmoor area. Black was recruited to run for the seat by Community Action for Public Education, a slate organized by Baton Rouge business leaders with the goal of reforming
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Black received the Golden Deeds Award in 1975 from the Inter-Civic
Council of Baton Rouge in honor of his philanthropic work. In 1990, he was honored with the 1990 "Friend of Education" award by the Louisiana Association of Educators. The year prior, Black was awarded the Public Relations Association
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After his two years in the Army, Black began working in television as a camera man and floor manager, as well as in sales and as a writer. In 1955, while he was working at a TV station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a former coworker contacted him with an on-air opportunity at WAFB in Baton Rouge. The afternoon
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on cable television, but he was also substitute teaching in East Baton Rouge Parish schools where his granddaughter was a first grader. After Black joined the CAPE slate, the
District 12 incumbent dropped out of the race. Black's remaining opponent described running against the long-time local
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On-air, Black presented himself as an easy-going, caring frontier scout who told historical stories. Originally, he wanted to do a magic show, but the sponsor, Tasty
Bakeries, wanted a Western character. Over the years, Black transitioned from playing a character to simply hosting the show as
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While educational activities were part of the programming, Black aimed to ensure the shows were entertaining too. He worked with advisers from
Louisiana State University and the Louisiana State Department of Education to create a pre-school curriculum for television news that was worked into
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inmates an opportunity to showcase their musical talent. The show, which Black viewed as a rehabilitation program, aired from 1968 to 1970. Black developed idea for the program after meeting one of the prison's country music bands, The
Westernaires, after he performed at the 1967
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opened on Easter 1970, Black ended each program by saying "Remember, Baton Rouge needs a zoo." As part of his advocacy for a local zoo, Black organized an "Elephant March," collecting more than 650,000 pennies to help purchase the zoo's first two
218:(1929 – January 10, 2018) was a Louisiana children's television personality and, later, school board member. He hosted what at the time were the longest-running children's television programs in the United States,
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himself, albeit while still wearing
Western-style clothing. One of Black's fringed shirts is on display at the Louisiana State University Textile & Costume Museum.
274:. He served as a comic and emcee for Third Army Soldier Shows for 18 months, travelling more than 500,000 miles (800,000 km) entertaining service members.
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Black was reelected three times, serving until 2010. During his time on the board, East Baton Rouge Parish negotiated an end to the parish's long-running
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built after promoting the cause on his show in the late 1950s and through the 1960s. After his successful television career, he was elected to the
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Black declined to run for a fifth term in 2010. At the same time, as part of redistricting, the school board was reduced from 12 to 11 districts.
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for six years, starting in the
Department of Speech and then continuing after the department merged into the school's journalism school in 1981.
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aired until
September 1988. At that time, with the station under new management, the weekly show was changed to the hour-long
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In April 1952, Black married his college sweetheart, Elma Kever (d. 2017). The couple had two daughters and a son.
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and gained voter approval for a 1-cent sales tax to increase teacher salaries and support new school construction.
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and after graduation he worked briefly in radio before being drafted into the U.S. Army during the
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Lussier, Charles (February 14, 2010). "Redistricting the wild card in School Board elections".
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335:. He also conducted drives to raise funds and medicine for Catholic missionaries in Brazil.
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launched on August 15, 1955, and was followed soon thereafter by the early morning program
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938:"Roger Moser remembered as a steady hand when desegregation roiled Baton Rouge schools"
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552:"Beyond 'Storyland': Reflections on 'Buckskin' Bill's time on the EBR School Board"
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809:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. pp. 168–169.
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Dunne, Mike (October 11, 1994). "Buckskin team image goes to School Board".
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684:. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 129–130.
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299:, which aired on Saturday mornings until it was cancelled in 1990.
440:"Baton Rouge TV star, community leader 'Buckskin Bill' Black dies"
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Hi There, Boys and Girls! America's Local
Children's TV Programs
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Cullen, Ed (October 8, 1975). "Bill Black Named Deeds Winner".
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In addition to his children's shows, Black produced and hosted
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before earning a degree in speech with a minor in history from
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The Manship School: A History of Journalism Education at LSU
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Beyond his television work, Black taught classes at the
291:. The afternoon program continued until around 1980 and
885:. Morgan City, Louisiana. November 20, 1990. p. 14
909:"PRAL Communicator of the Year Award Prior Recipients"
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At the time, Black had been contemplating relaunching
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367:of Louisiana's "Communicator of the Year Award".
774:"Angola Cons Have Music, Will Travel to Perform"
605:Originally published September 29, 1968, by the
234:. Black famously helped raise funds to get the
384:children's television host to running against
879:"'Buckskin Bill' earns prestigious LAE honor"
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254:, to Harvey and Amelia Black, and grew up in
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342:, a weekly early-morning program that gave
558:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. January 12, 2018
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1095:American children's television presenters
913:Public Relations Association of Louisiana
323:to help Deaf children enjoy the program.
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477:. New Roads, Louisiana. January 15, 2018
319:, who provided a mix of visual aids and
1011:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. April 4, 2017
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586:"A Look Back at Buckskin Bill, an Icon"
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993:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. pp. A1.
936:Lussier, Charles (February 28, 2022).
852:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. pp. B7.
720:Weinstein, Elizabeth (July 23, 2020).
595:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. pp. 4–5
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867:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. p. 1.
584:Jenkins, Diane (January 18, 2018) .
240:East Baton Rouge Parish School Board
1049:Growing Up With Buckskin Bill: The
747:"How Baton Rouge Got Two Elephants"
1085:People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1005:"Elma Kever Black Obituary (2017)"
780:. Opelousas, Louisiana. p. 12
501:"VIDEO: Remembering Buckskin Bill"
499:Chawla, Kiran (January 12, 2018).
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1100:School board members in Louisiana
1090:20th-century American male actors
242:in 1994 and served for 16 years.
651:"Buckskin Bill Black Collection"
392:, Black earned 82% of the vote.
266:. During college he worked as a
216:William P. "Buckskin Bill" Black
1036:East Baton Rouge Public Library
655:East Baton Rouge Parish Library
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1040:WAFB-TV aircheck June 28, 1988
1034:Buckskin Bill Black Collection
970:. Louisiana Secretary of State
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772:Nadler, Nan (July 25, 1968).
313:Louisiana School for the Deaf
16:American television show host
471:"William P. Black Obituary"
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1080:People from Hugo, Oklahoma
356:Louisiana State University
340:Good Morning, Angola Style
131:Children's television host
114:January 10, 2018 (aged 88)
1056:(2003) WAFB Archive Video
625:"Who is "Buckskin" Bill?"
607:North Baton Rouge Journal
297:Buckskin Bill and Friends
258:. He attended college at
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944:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
507:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
446:. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
37:East Baton Rouge Parish
803:Garay, Ronald (2009).
475:Pointe Coupee Reporter
376:the parish's schools.
285:The Buckskin Bill Show
224:The Buckskin Bill Show
117:Baton Rouge, Louisiana
91:William Philippi Black
311:. He also included a
252:Haileyville, Oklahoma
97:Haileyville, Oklahoma
678:Hollis, Tim (2001).
186:; died
349:Angola Prison Rodeo
25:Buckskin Bill Black
631:. October 11, 2006
397:desegregation case
250:Black was born in
816:978-0-8071-3382-8
753:. October 5, 2006
691:978-1-62103-408-7
593:Central City News
278:Television career
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42:(District 12)
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1013:. Retrieved
1009:The Advocate
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972:. Retrieved
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893:– via
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788:– via
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69:Succeeded by
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40:School Board
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1075:2018 deaths
1070:1929 births
778:Daily World
386:Santa Claus
315:teacher on
268:rodeo clown
228:Baton Rouge
59:Preceded by
1064:Categories
414:References
326:Until the
272:Korean War
246:Early life
169:Elma Kever
154:Television
128:Occupation
110:2018-01-10
1051:Storyland
1043:Storyland
825:227191751
700:821178492
527:"History"
381:Storytime
333:elephants
317:Storyland
309:Storyland
293:Storyland
289:Storyland
220:Storyland
148:Storytime
139:1955–1990
53:1994–2010
49:In office
1015:July 21,
974:July 21,
948:July 22,
918:July 21,
889:July 21,
830:July 21,
784:July 21,
757:July 21,
731:July 21,
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660:July 21,
635:July 21,
599:July 21,
562:June 19,
536:July 21,
511:June 19,
481:June 19,
450:June 19,
390:Democrat
283:program
198:Children
751:WAFB-TV
629:WAFB-TV
556:WAFB-TV
505:WAFB-TV
232:WAFB-TV
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1053:Legacy
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362:Awards
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164:Spouse
119:, U.S.
99:, U.S.
589:(PDF)
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811:ISBN
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707:2022
696:OCLC
686:ISBN
662:2022
637:2022
601:2022
564:2021
538:2022
513:2021
483:2021
452:2021
256:Hugo
222:and
188:2017
184:1952
158:WAFB
104:Died
94:1929
87:Born
230:'s
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.