Senate Concurrent Resolution 550

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF CIVIL RIGHTS TRAILBLAZER FLONZIE "GOODLOE" BROWN-WRIGHT OF FARMHAVEN AND CANTON, MISSISSIPPI, THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE RECONSTRUCTION, AND COMMENDING HER ADVOCACY.

WHEREAS, an advocate for the less fortunate among us and for equal rights, Flonzie "Goodloe" Brown-Wright, best-selling author, Civil Rights Trailblazer and native of rural Farmhaven, Mississippi, is the only daughter of Frank and Littie P. Brown. She and her brothers, Sydney and Frank, Jr., grew up in Canton, 16 miles west of her birthplace. Both parents, brothers and eldest son, Edward, are deceased. She is the mother of two children, Cynthia and Lloyd; and

WHEREAS, she attended both public and private schools at Farmhaven and Canton, Mississippi. She received a Fain Fellowship and attended Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi. Special courses included: Pre-Law, Black History and Political Science. She graduated from the Institute of Politics at Millsaps College in Jackson and served as Vice President of the institute where she taught "Grassroots Organizing and Campaign Management"; and

WHEREAS, she was inspired to become involved in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement in 1963, after the assassination of Medgar Evers, Field Secretary for the State NAACP. Her inspiration continues in a myriad of creative community initiatives across the country, where she lectures and provides motivational opportunities to a cross section of audiences. Her appointment to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as an Investigator was confirmed in 1974. She retired from the EEOC in 1989 with special citations, including the Chairman's Service Award, and is a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, she was the first African-American female in 1968 to be elected to a public office in Mississippi since and perhaps pre-Reconstruction. The position of Election Commissioner allowed her to correct many voting injustices. She appointed and trained numerous African-Americans to conduct elections, many of whom still continue to serve; and

WHEREAS, in 1994, she authored and published her first book, Looking Back to Move Ahead. In 1999, the publication became a best seller for an independent author. The book chronicles her years growing up in a small rural Mississippi town. It also 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 in Canton, Madison County and the State of Mississippi. She knew and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many other humanitarian activists, both locally and nationally. She is the recipient of 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. 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, 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 and produced by Sadoff Productions. This award-winning film focuses on a number of women, both black and white, who were involved in the Southern Civil Rights Movement. She and others were honored for this production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She was featured in the nationally acclaimed Purpose Magazine, the January 1998 edition, and Tomorrow's South, the September 1999 edition. In April 1999, she produced a Video Documentary, And Before I'll Be Your Slave. This docudrama is a testament to her ancestors and shares 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 2005-2010, 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." Subsequently, she served the university as an Adjunct Professor. Her credits, memberships and honors are extensive; 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 historical celebration. She was recently appointed as a Commissioner at Tougaloo College by President Beverly Hogan to assist in promoting the celebration of a number of Civil Rights events culminating in 2014. 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":

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize the legacy of Civil Rights Trailblazer Flonzie "Goodloe" Brown-Wright of Farmhaven and Canton, Mississippi, the first African-American female elected to public office in Mississippi since Reconstruction, and commending her advocacy.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Flonzie Brown-Wright, forwarded to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.