Zelma Wyche

Zelma Charles Wyche was an African American civil rights activist in majority black Tallulah in Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He held the offices of police chief, alderman, and mayor. After many years at the grass roots, Wyche began to receive national attention for his work to dismantle racial segregation. In January 1970, six months after he had become Tallulah police chief, Ebony Magazine featured him in the article, "Black Lawman in KKK Territory," a reference to the Tallulah branch of the Ku Klux Klan, which fought desegregation in the American South. Until he became police chief, Wyche had earned his living as a barber.