Tag: East Liberty in Deep East Texas

James Curtis Ratcliff was born on April 29, 1934, in East Liberty in “Deep East” Texas, a community of farmers and ranchers founded over 200 years ago by ancestors of the Ratcliffs and several other families, who still live there. For more than 50 years, he was a driver for Sunset Scavenger and then went to work for his brother, Dr. Willie Ratcliff, who had a contract with Alyeska Pipeline Co. James made his transition on Nov. 30, 2016, after a long illness. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten.

From the moment the doors opened on the evening of Sept. 13, it was apparent that the honoring of our global African media would begin its night of empowerment with the tradition of honoring one of the community’s foremost elders. We celebrated the 82 years of life and struggle of Dr. Willie Ratcliff and Dr. Ratcliff’s 22 years of Black media ownership of the San Francisco Bay View newspaper. Black Media Appreciation Night 2014 was filled with wisdom, communication and the exchange of knowledge, as well as people receiving awards for life changing, revolutionary work.