Black Texas Official Forced To Work Next To A “Negroes” Sign

A Texas county is under fire for placing their first Black elected official in an office next to a segregation-era sign.

Constable Curtis Polk, Jr., who was elected this year, was removed from his office when the county began re-shuffling offices as they made room for a new courthouse. While every other official was able to keep a private office, Polk was forced to work from a small basement office that he shares with two sheriff’s deputies who work security at the courthouse. 

“I felt pretty upset,” he admits, “because every other elected official in this county has their own private office.

Even more disturbing is the fact that an old chipped sign which reads “negroes” is arched right next door to where Polk works, which he says is a “disgrace.” 

“I understand that it was part of the history of this courthouse, but I just feel it’s another disgrace for me to have to see it daily,” said Constable Polk before adding, “It had hurt me so bad that I thought about stepping away from the constable’s office, find a job doing something else.”

Despite the sign and the Constable’s working arrangement beginning to circulate online, Ellis County Judge Todd Little does not support removing the sign, which was used to mark a public water fountain where Black residents were required to drink from during segregation. He called the recent backlash “intentional and coordinated.”

“I would suggest the signage was kept, so the evil of requiring people of another color to drink at another water fountain would never happen again,” Judge Little said. “I am saddened Constable Polk was hurt by this office relocation process. That was not the intent.”

On Tuesday, a Facebook page for Ellis County Democrats demanded that county leaders issue an apology to Polk and “ensure this kind of embarrassment never occurs again.” 

Judge Little says that county commissioners decided to keep the sign two decades ago and added a plaque to it that reads, “Have We Learned From History?” to provide context to the sign and serve as a reminder of the county’s racist past. Little said the decision to relocate Polk’s office was based on “logic and the availability of space, not on malice or any other subjective information.”

Little said that the county is working to acquire more office space. It is unclear how long Polk will be required to continue working in the basement office.