House Resolution 78

A RESOLUTION HONORING AND CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF CIVIL RIGHTS TRAILBLAZER FLONZIE "GOODLOE" BROWN-WRIGHT FOR HER MANY HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDING BEING THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE RECONSTRUCTION.

WHEREAS, in 1968, social activist Flonzie "Goodloe" Brown-Wright made history when she was elected as an Election Commissioner, making her the first African-American female elected to public office in Mississippi since Reconstruction; and

WHEREAS, she utilized her position to correct many voting injustices, appoint African Americans to key positions, and train numerous African Americans to conduct elections, many of whom still continue to serve; and

WHEREAS, a native of rural Farmhaven, Mississippi, she is the only daughter of Mr. Frank and Mrs. Littie P. Brown, attending both public and private schools in Farmhaven and Canton, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, her passion for politics and the law motivated her to attend Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi, where she studied pre-law, black history and political science and went on to graduate from the Institute of Politics at Millsaps College, where she served as vice president and taught "Grassroots Organizing and Campaign Management"; and

WHEREAS, after the assassination of Medgar Evers, she was compelled to join the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement in 1963, and serve as Field Secretary for the State NAACP; and

WHEREAS, in 1974, she was appointed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as an investigator and worked tirelessly until 1989, when she retired with special citations, including the Chairman's Service Award; and

WHEREAS, in 1994, she authored and published her first book, Looking Back to Move Ahead, which chronicles her years growing up in a small rural Mississippi town, and focuses on the involvement of scores of unrecognized heroes and sheroes who were similarly involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and 1970s specifically in the city of Canton, Madison County, Mississippi, and in 1999, became a best seller for an independent author; and

WHEREAS, she is President and CEO of FBW & Associates, Incorporated of Jackson, Mississippi, a freelance marketing consultant firm, and is founder of the Flonzie B. Wright Scholarship Fund, a fund designed to encourage students to stay in school. Since its inception, the fund has provided more than $40,000.00 in scholarship incentives to many students; and

WHEREAS, during the summer of 1997, she participated in filming a documentary, Standing on My Sisters' Shoulders, sponsored by the University of Mississippi, which was an award-winning film that focused on a number of women, both black and white, who were involved in the Southern Civil Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, the film was so poignant that she and others were honored for this production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and

WHEREAS, many accolades have been bestowed upon her during her life, as she was featured in the nationally acclaimed Purpose Magazine (January 1998), and Tomorrow's South (September 1999), and in April 1999, she produced the video documentary, And Before I'll Be Your Slave, which was a docudrama about her ancestors with many stories which have impacted her life, she is featured and served as an advisor to Jennifer Cheeks-Collins, also of Canton, in her publication, Black America Series, Madison County, Mississippi. In October 2008, she released Standing Tall in Tough Times on DVD. Among other interviews, her parents tell of their challenges because of her involvement in civil rights. Included also is her August 2008 Keynote Speech in Dayton, Ohio, the night President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party's Presidential Nomination. From 2005 to 2010, she served Miami University in Middletown, Ohio, as Student Affairs Scholar in Residence where she co-wrote and taught a new curriculum, "Black Issues in Higher Education." She is listed in Who's Who Among Black Americans (1994/1995 edition) and is a member of the National Association of Female Executives. She is among a number of prestigious African Americans listed in Who's Who Among Black Mississippians; and

WHEREAS, beloved by various communities throughout the nation, she has received more than 400 community service awards, including special honors from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, and an honor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, in 2011, she accepted the appointment as co-event director for the 50th Anniversary of the Mississippi Freedom Riders Reunion. Her excellent skills in assisting with the planning and execution were demonstrated in the success of this historic celebration. Even though her travels have been extensive and her achievements many, she simply refers to herself as "just a country girl from Mississippi who loves the Lord and ALL people." In 2014, Tougaloo College President Beverly Hogan appointed her as a commissioner to assist in promoting the celebration of a number of Civil Rights events; and

WHEREAS, this woman of faith and conviction is a diligent member of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to celebrate and honor the positive historic legacies of Mississippians, such as Mrs. Brown-Wright who has passionately fought for the needs of the underserved:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby honor and celebrate the legacy of Civil Rights Trailblazer Flonzie "Goodloe" Brown-Wright, the first African-American female elected to public office in Mississippi since Reconstruction.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Flonzie "Goodloe" Brown-Wright, to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.