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Amazing Savannah Women
To celebrate the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage, our Amazing Savannah Women series highlights some of Savannah’s accomplished female citizens. To learn more about Women's Suffrage in Savannah watch our Hungry for History program Women's Suffrage Comes to Georgia. To learn more about female leadership on Savannah's City Council visit: Savannah Alderwomen History.
We recognize that we have only scratched the surface of the incredible women, historic and contemporary, in our community that deserve recognition. Do you know someone that is worthy of documentation as part of this project? Email us at Archives@savannahga.gov and let us know.
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Dr. Frances Fonvielle
To celebrate the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage, tune in the last Thursday of each month in 2020 for our Amazing Savannah Women series where we will highlight some of Savannah’s accomplished female citizens. To kick it off, let us introduce Dr. Frances Fonvielle (circa 1921-1998). The Fonvielle family owned and operated the Savannah Pharmacy from 1914 to 2007. Frances, a Howard University-educated pharmacist, took over the family business and served as President of the Savannah Pharmacy from 1955-1998. She is considered an African American female pioneer in the pharmaceutical field. Besides compounding the Pharmacy’s trademark Yamacraw Chill Tonic and Long-Ease medicines, she was also responsible for building the landmark Fonvielle Office Building at 916 West Broad Street in 1964. When the Savannah Pharmacy closed in 2007, it was the second oldest continuously operating African American owned business in Savannah.
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Madame Bridie Freeman
This month, our Amazing Savannah Women series is highlighting Bridie Freeman. Bridie, or Madame Freeman as her students called her, was born in 1886 in Beaufort, SC and later moved to Savannah to open her famed Madame Freeman’s Beauty School in 1919. The school was situated at the corner of Montgomery and Alice streets. Black women from all over Georgia and the south would travel to Savannah for a chance to attend the highly regarded academy and become “Freeman’s Girls,” as graduates were known. Madame Freeman not only taught the girls to style hair, but also biology, anatomy, and business skills - all of which, combined, allowed them to open their own salons and gave them unprecedented economic power. Many children in Savannah were put through a private school education with the money their mothers earned through Madame Freeman’s. During the turbulent early years of the Civil Rights Movement, the salon became a safe space for community members to gather and discuss social issues. Madame Freeman’s Beauty School closed after her death in 1957. Portrait of Bridie Freeman, 1919, from the W. W. Law Photograph Collection.
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Juliette Gordon Low
This month’s installment of Amazing Savannah Women features Savannah native Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low (1860-1927). Throughout her life, Low was interested in art, poetry, and nature, all of which were foundational to the later advent of the Girl Scouts. She even sculpted a bust of her grandfather, William Washington Gordon (Mayor of Savannah 1834-1836), which now resides in City Hall. While living between Savannah and England, Low became involved with the British Girl Guides, an offshoot of the Boy Scouts, and brought the idea back to Georgia. In 1912, Low recruited the first 18 Girl Guides in the United States, and the Girl Scout movement was born, right here in Savannah. Thanks to Juliette’s strong conviction and vision more than a century ago, the Girl Scout movement is thriving today with over 2.6 million girl and adult members worldwide. Image from the V. & J. Duncan Postcard Collection.
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Nola Roos
May is Historic Preservation Month, so it is fitting that this month for our Amazing Savannah Women series we highlight someone who was instrumental in the preservation of Savannah’s historic buildings as well as an important figure in the history of our City government. Nola Roos was born on the 4th of July, 1895, a very fitting day for a woman who embodied the spirit of civic pride. During her life she served as vice president of the Chatham Savannah Board of Education, local and state president of the Business & Professional Women’s Club, she was one of only four women to hold the post of District Census Director, and was the first president of the Women’s Council of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, among many other accomplishments. Roos was also the first woman appointed as Clerk of Council for the City of Savannah in 1949, and became not only the first female Clerk, but also the first woman to head any major department within the City organization. She resigned her post in 1953 in order to focus her efforts more fully on another project which would become her most lasting gift to Savannah. Nola and six other women joined together to form the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) in 1955 with the goal of preserving Savannah’s architectural heritage. Of HSF Nola said “At the time the value of all of this as a tourist attraction was not the important factor, our thoughts were to preserve for Savannah and Georgia a very precious heritage. I personally feel that the development of Historic Savannah to its present proportion is one of the finest things that has happened to Savannah.” Nola Roos passed away in 1980. Image of the Founders of HSF (Nola Roos top left), Courtesy of Savannah Morning News.
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Virginia Jackson Kiah
Virginia Jackson Kiah was a force within Savannah’s art, museum, and civil rights circles. Virginia was born in Baltimore in 1911 and studied painting in Philadelphia before earning a Master’s Degree at the Teachers College at Columbia University. After marrying her husband, Calvin L. Kiah, the couple moved to Savannah where she was a teacher at Beach High School before becoming an artist full time. In 1959, Virginia opened the Kiah Museum in the Cuyler-Brownville neighborhood. Her mission, captured in the tagline “Museum for the Masses,” was to bring the experience of the Smithsonian Museum to Savannah’s African American community and include residents in a type of institution that they were typically barred from even entering. Virginia was also a founding member of the National Conference of Artists, the oldest and largest visual art organization providing a forum for emerging and established artists of African descent. Virginia Kiah passed away in 2001, but the legacy of Virginia and her groundbreaking museum lives on through the Friends of the Kiah House Museum and the many organizations she lent her talents to. Image courtesy Savannah Morning News.
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Sergeant Kathleen R. Moore
For July’s Amazing Savannah Women, we are featuring three women who blazed a trail through the Savannah Police Department. Savannah’s very first female police officer was Kathleen R. Moore, appointed to the Police force on May 10, 1923. Moore received training in Detroit, then served as head of the women’s division handling cases involving women and girls. Before retiring in 1955 as a Sergeant, Moore secured a separate section of the City jail for women prisoners. Allonia Haisten began her career with SPD in 1954 as a radio operator, and later served as a Matron and Clerk-Typist. In 1972 she passed the exam to become a police officer, and later served as a Detective in the sex crimes unit before retiring in 1986. In 1974, the Exchange Club awarded her the honor of “Policeman of the Year.” After the ceremony, the FBI notified Haisten that she was probably the first woman in America to receive this honor. Allonia Haisten Ginn passed away on June 10, 2020, at the age of 94. Juliette “Julie” Tolbert is the highest ranking female officer in the history of SPD. During her 36 year career, she achieved the rank of Assistant Police Chief and was the first female Interim Police Chief. Tolbert started with the Savannah Police Department in 1981 and steadily rose through the ranks, from patrol officer to sergeant to major to assistant chief, stopping along the way in the juvenile and sex crimes division, internal affairs, and tactical reaction apprehension and prevention unit. Tolbert served in the command staffs for several chiefs before retiring in 2017.
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Detective Allonia Haisten
For July’s Amazing Savannah Women, we are featuring three women who blazed a trail through the Savannah Police Department. Savannah’s very first female police officer was Kathleen R. Moore, appointed to the Police force on May 10, 1923. Moore received training in Detroit, then served as head of the women’s division handling cases involving women and girls. Before retiring in 1955 as a Sergeant, Moore secured a separate section of the City jail for women prisoners. Allonia Haisten began her career with SPD in 1954 as a radio operator, and later served as a Matron and Clerk-Typist. In 1972 she passed the exam to become a police officer, and later served as a Detective in the sex crimes unit before retiring in 1986. In 1974, the Exchange Club awarded her the honor of “Policeman of the Year.” After the ceremony, the FBI notified Haisten that she was probably the first woman in America to receive this honor. Allonia Haisten Ginn passed away on June 10, 2020, at the age of 94. Juliette “Julie” Tolbert is the highest ranking female officer in the history of SPD. During her 36 year career, she achieved the rank of Assistant Police Chief and was the first female Interim Police Chief. Tolbert started with the Savannah Police Department in 1981 and steadily rose through the ranks, from patrol officer to sergeant to major to assistant chief, stopping along the way in the juvenile and sex crimes division, internal affairs, and tactical reaction apprehension and prevention unit. Tolbert served in the command staffs for several chiefs before retiring in 2017.
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Assistant Chief Juliette Tolbert
For July’s Amazing Savannah Women, we are featuring three women who blazed a trail through the Savannah Police Department. Savannah’s very first female police officer was Kathleen R. Moore, appointed to the Police force on May 10, 1923. Moore received training in Detroit, then served as head of the women’s division handling cases involving women and girls. Before retiring in 1955 as a Sergeant, Moore secured a separate section of the City jail for women prisoners. Allonia Haisten began her career with SPD in 1954 as a radio operator, and later served as a Matron and Clerk-Typist. In 1972 she passed the exam to become a police officer, and later served as a Detective in the sex crimes unit before retiring in 1986. In 1974, the Exchange Club awarded her the honor of “Policeman of the Year.” After the ceremony, the FBI notified Haisten that she was probably the first woman in America to receive this honor. Allonia Haisten Ginn passed away on June 10, 2020, at the age of 94. Juliette “Julie” Tolbert is the highest ranking female officer in the history of SPD. During her 36 year career, she achieved the rank of Assistant Police Chief and was the first female Interim Police Chief. Tolbert started with the Savannah Police Department in 1981 and steadily rose through the ranks, from patrol officer to sergeant to major to assistant chief, stopping along the way in the juvenile and sex crimes division, internal affairs, and tactical reaction apprehension and prevention unit. Tolbert served in the command staffs for several chiefs before retiring in 2017.
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Clermont Lee
Savannah is renowned for her urban landscape and we can thank August’s Amazing Savannah Woman Clermont Lee for contributing to that unique beauty during the 20th century and blazing a path for female landscape architects in Georgia. Lee (1914-2006) earned a master’s degree from Smith College Graduate School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture. During WWII, she worked as an assistant to landscape architect T. M. Baumgardner with the Sea Island Company and created landscape designs for several federal housing projects. In 1949, Lee established her own practice, becoming Savannah’s first female professional landscape architect in private practice. She was well known for her formal house gardens, like those at the Owens-Thomas House and Green-Meldrim House, which showcased her interest in historic garden design. Supported by local philanthropist Mills B. Lane, Jr., Lee designed renovations for four Savannah squares (Madison, Troup, Warren, and Washington), and most notably the City adopted Lee’s innovative suggestion to round the entries upon encountering the squares to facilitate emergency vehicles and public buses rather than have streets bisect them. Lee was a founding member of the Georgia State Board of Landscape Architects and was the first female landscape architect registered in the state of Georgia. Image of Lee in 1969 by Don Hardigree, courtesy of the Savannah Morning News.
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Mamie George S. Williams
In honor of National Voter Registration Day, it only makes sense that we celebrate Mamie George S. Williams as September’s Amazing Savannah Woman! Mamie Williams was born in Savannah in 1872 and during her life was one of the most prolific forces in the women’s suffrage movement. Mamie studied at the Beach Institute and Atlanta University. Her long career in civil service began during World War I, supporting Liberty Loan Drives and committing over 2,400 hours of service to the American Red Cross. When women won the right to vote in 1920, she was on the forefront of registering African American women voters across Georgia and she is personally credited for assisting over 40,000 women to register to vote. During the 1924 election, she made national history as the first woman from Georgia and the first Black woman to serve on the National Republican Committee. Mamie was the first woman to speak on the floor at the National Republican Convention, where she spoke out against the party’s attempts to remove Black party members from positions of power. She founded the National Republican League of Colored Women Voters, the first national political organization for Black women in the United States. Mamie’s service to women’s clubs was equally notable, she served on numerous local and state boards and was matron-in-charge of the Chatham County Protective Home for Colored Girls. Mamie was also a successful business woman and served as a Director of the Carver Bank. Mamie George Williams died in 1951 at Charity Hospital. Upon her death, Savannah Tribune editor Sol Johnson remembered Mamie as “a beacon of light and hope for women across Georgia and the nation.” In 2018, she was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame. To read more about her remarkable life and career, view her Hall of Fame biography at: https://www.georgiawomen.org/mamie-george-williams. (Image courtesy of the Georgia Women of Achievement)
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Elena Tillan Santamaria
During both Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) and Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), we honor the contributions of Elena Tillan Santamaria as an Amazing Savannah Woman. Elena was born in Cuba in 1952 and immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 5 years old. She was raised in Miami and eventually found her way to Savannah in 1993. In 1999, Elena moved to Atlanta and was diagnosed with breast cancer. She returned to Savannah in 2005 and began working for Memorial Health as an administrative assistant. Medical staff began to call on her to interpret for their patients and she identified a need in the hospital for trained interpreters. Under Elena as coordinator, Memorial Health started the Interpretation Services Department which includes full time and casual interpreters to serve as transparent voices between the patients and doctors. The interpreters help relax patients and encourage them to ask the doctors questions, helping eliminate language barriers. Though she retired as Coordinator of Interpretation Services two years ago, Elena continues to work for the department as a Medical Spanish Interpreter on a casual basis. In 2016, Elena was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. After winning her second battle with the disease, Elena has combined her interpretation services to the Hispanic community with her personal cancer experiences to offer Latina and English speaking women hope and courage. She can share her experiences as a cancer survivor offering an immediate connection and reducing their fear and anxiety. As a breast cancer advocate since 1999, she has volunteered for the American Cancer Society to assist Latina women across the nation on their cancer journeys, Elena was honored as “Community Outreach Hero” by the Georgia Medical Society, she was a featured survivor for the 2019 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and was one of ten women to co-author the book “B.O.O.B.S.: A Bunch of Outrageous Breast-Cancer Survivors Tell Their Stories of Courage, Hope and Healing.” Elena’s first instance with breast cancer was detected through her yearly mammogram, and her second through a self-breast exam. She encourages all women to treat every month as breast cancer awareness month, noting how important early detection was for both of her triumphs over breast cancer. As Hispanic Heritage Month closes out, we celebrate Elena Santamaria’s contributions to Savannah’s Hispanic community as a Spanish medical interpreter, and we celebrate all our strong and courageous breast cancer fighters and survivors! We also honor and remember all those who have courageously fought, but lost the battle with this life threatening disease. (Photograph courtesy of Georgia Southern University)
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Pat Gallagher & Patty Latham
October is LGBT History Month so it is fitting that this month we recognize two Amazing Savannah Women, Patty Latham and Pat Gallagher, both instrumental in the early years of First City Network (FCN), the oldest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in Savannah and one of the oldest organizations of its kind in Georgia. FCN was founded in 1985 and early goals addressed AIDS education, advocating for equal rights, and providing a safe way for the LGBTQ+ community to meet. These women were nominated to our Amazing Savannah Women series through Savannah’s PROUD task force and we are grateful they agreed to interviews by Municipal Archives staff about their work with FCN. Patty Latham originated the idea of FCN for AIDS education with Lawrence Marley, and out of 13 original founding members was the sole female. Pat Gallagher was recruited to join FCN by Latham, and served as the first editor of “Network News,” FCN’s monthly newsletter. Pat, who wrote under the pseudonym “I. Emma Ware” (a play on “I am aware”), recalled how important “Network News” was in the 1980s, when few resources were available to the LGBTQ+ community, as a way to get news and keep informed. “Network News” is the oldest continuously published LGTBQ+ newsletter in Georgia (December 1985-present) and FCN has generously allowed the Municipal Archives to digitize their newsletter to increase public access. You can explore the collection online (digitization is ongoing; check back as we continue to work) at: https://bit.ly/2Hm3exj. (Photograph of Pat Gallagher and Patty Latham, circa 1980s, Courtesy of Patty Latham)
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Geneva Wallace Law
Our November Amazing Savannah Woman is Geneva Wallace Law, a loving mother, Sunday School teacher, and Civil Rights activist. Many people in our community recognize the name of her son, Westley Wallace (W.W.) Law, but we wanted to turn the spotlight on his mother, an inspirational woman in her own right. Geneva’s story, while remarkable for her strength and dedication to family, is also notable for its ordinariness, a story shared by many women throughout history who had the grit and determination to do whatever it took to ensure their families not only survived, but thrived. Geneva was born in Savannah in 1900, a descendant of an enslaved family brought from the west coast of Africa in the 18th century. As a lifetime member of First Bryan Baptist Church, her faith was a constant buoy in her life. She was involved with the Sunday School and sang in the choir, recognized as best in the state at Baptist conventions. Her husband, Westley Law, passed away leaving her with three young children and the sole responsibility of feeding, clothing, and keeping them in school while working as domestic help for a white family, all on a salary of a mere $4 per week. She emphasized education and always made sure to have books and music around the house for her children, a legacy her son continued through his own work and one that lives on through the W. W. Law Collections in the Municipal Archives for the Savannah community. W.W. Law was not the only family member involved with the Savannah Branch of the NAACP, Geneva was a Life Member who supported boycotts targeting discrimination, solicited membership, and answered the phone at the branch office for years. W.W. Law said of his mother, "all of her children knows a Mother's love. She taught us how to work hard and to pray. I am grateful that God has blessed her with long life because in our growing up she did without many days so that we could have. She has made us a family." Geneva passed away in 1994 and is buried in Laurel Grove South Cemetery. Photograph of Geneva Wallace Law wearing a dress and hat she made herself, from the W. W. Law Photograph Collection, Item 170.
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Sarah Berrien Casey Morgan
Sarah Berrien Casey Morgan, pioneering suffragette and Savannah’s first female alderwoman was born in Augusta and moved to Savannah with her husband, Captain Thomas Morgan. As early as 1912, she was leading women in local civics by teaching classes on Parliamentary law. As a founding member of the Savannah Federation of Women’s Organizations and the Savannah Branch of the Equal Suffrage Party, she was at the forefront of Savannah’s suffrage movement. After the 19th Amendment was ratified, local suffrage leaders gave her the honor of being the first woman to register to vote in Chatham County. 1922 was not only the first year women were allowed to vote in Georgia, but also the first year women could run for office. In Savannah, three women were on the ballot for City Council, including Morgan. During her campaign, she vowed to “be fair and square in political office” and when discussing the topic of women as City employees said, “Women as women should not be denied office. Fitness to perform the duties of an office should alone be the controlling factor in the appointment.” Morgan did not secure enough votes to be elected. However, on January 18, 1923, the last City Council meeting of Mayor Stewart’s administration, Alderman George White resigned and in an honorary move Council appointed Morgan to fill the unexpired term. Morgan held the position for barely four days until the new administration took the oath of office. Alderman Cabell said it had been a “privilege to work with Mrs. Morgan during the last few weeks in a close association which has given her opportunity to prove her zeal as a worker and her capacity as a leader, and that he considered that in offering her the nomination they were not conferring an honor, but were honored in having her serve.” Morgan took the oath of office in the presence of nearly 200 people, many women she had worked with. Morgan died on June 28, 1931. On the day of her funeral, the flag over Savannah’s City Hall flew at half-staff, the first time in the City’s history that it had been lowered in honor of a woman.
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Dr. Harris K. Lentini
Savannah’s first elected alderwoman was Dr. Harris K. Lentini. Dr. Lentini, a native Savannahian, was born in 1938 and lived her life in service to others in the Savannah community. She was a lifelong educator; she taught at Savannah High School before serving as the science coordinator for the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools and later as the Director of the Oatland Island Science Education Center. Dr. Lentini was active in many non-profit organizations, including the American Association of University Women, the Girl Scouts and Safe Shelter, an organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse, which she co-founded in the early 1970s. She was also an accomplished artist, skilled in paper crafts such as paper making and marbling, while also learning skills in pottery and sculpture later in life. In 1978, she ran for City Council and became Savannah’s first female member elected directly by the people. She served one term representing the 6th district, from 1978-1982. Her trailblazing career paved the way for the many women in government who came after her. Dr. Lentini passed away in 2013. Image retrieved from Legacy.com Obituary.
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Mayor Susan Weiner
Our first female mayor, Susan Weiner, was born in Albany, New York, and studied theater, education, and speech at SUNY New Paltz. Before beginning her political career, she worked as an actress, traveled the world performing in a one woman play, and taught in Cambodia and Thailand. In the 1980s, she moved to Savannah with her husband. In 1991, she entered the mayoral race and defeated Savannah’s longest serving mayor, John Rousakis, a five-term incumbent. Mayor Weiner served one term, from 1992 to 1996, and helped Savannah rise to international attention by hosting a portion of the 1996 Olympic Games. After being defeated in the 1995 municipal election by Floyd Adams, Jr., Weiner was appointed the Executive Director of the Good Government for Georgia Committee in 1996 and then in 2004 as Executive Director of the Georgia Council for the Arts. She is remembered by those who worked with her as a tough woman who wouldn’t compromise her principles and as a game changer for women in Georgia. Susan Weiner passed away in 2006 at the age of 66. Image of Mayor Susan Weiner with “General Oglethorpe” at the 1993 Georgia Day Celebration, from the Public Information Office Photograph Collection.
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Mayor Edna Branch Jackson
Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier sums up the importance of Savannah’s first majority-female City Council by saying “We have a powerful voice, and we are at the table where little girls of Savannah can see us and aspire to achieve their leadership dreams.” In our final installment of the Amazing Savannah Women series, we recognize this historic moment and the women who paved the way for women to have a seat at the leadership table. One of the most groundbreaking women in City Council history is Edna Branch Jackson. Jackson was the first woman elected to a City-wide At-Large post (At-Large Post 1, 2000-2011), the first woman elected by Council to the Mayor Pro Tempore leadership position, and Savannah’s first female African American Mayor (2012-2015). Our five current alderwomen, Kesha Gibson-Carter (At-Large Post 1), Alicia Miller-Blakely (At-Large Post 2), Dr. Estella Edwards Shabazz (District 5, Mayor Pro Tem), Bernetta B. Lanier (District 1), and Linda Wilder-Bryan (District 3), together and independently also represent many important firsts for their districts and the City. Shabazz, Lanier, and Wilder-Bryan are the first women elected to represent their districts. Gibson-Carter is the first alderwoman selected by Council to serve as Chair of Council. These women were inspired by teachers who recognized their potential and taught them to lead, by historic figures such as Susie King Taylor, and of course by their parents. They are motivated by their desire to help Savannah’s most vulnerable. Dr. Shabazz recognizes the importance that she and her peers “understand the people’s struggles and speak for their needs. We put them first and are taking care of their needs.” Featured image of Mayor Edna Branch Jackson with retired SPD Lt. John White, 2014.
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Majority Female Council
Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier sums up the importance of Savannah’s first majority-female City Council by saying “We have a powerful voice, and we are at the table where little girls of Savannah can see us and aspire to achieve their leadership dreams.” In our final installment of the Amazing Savannah Women series, we recognize this historic moment and the women who paved the way for women to have a seat at the leadership table. One of the most groundbreaking women in City Council history is Edna Branch Jackson. Jackson was the first woman elected to a City-wide At-Large post (At-Large Post 1, 2000-2011), the first woman elected by Council to the Mayor Pro Tempore leadership position, and Savannah’s first female African American Mayor (2012-2015). Our five current alderwomen, Kesha Gibson-Carter (At-Large Post 1), Alicia Miller-Blakely (At-Large Post 2), Dr. Estella Edwards Shabazz (District 5, Mayor Pro Tem), Bernetta B. Lanier (District 1), and Linda Wilder-Bryan (District 3), together and independently also represent many important firsts for their districts and the City. Shabazz, Lanier, and Wilder-Bryan are the first women elected to represent their districts. Gibson-Carter is the first alderwoman selected by Council to serve as Chair of Council. These women were inspired by teachers who recognized their potential and taught them to lead, by historic figures such as Susie King Taylor, and of course by their parents. They are motivated by their desire to help Savannah’s most vulnerable. Dr. Shabazz recognizes the importance that she and her peers “understand the people’s struggles and speak for their needs. We put them first and are taking care of their needs.” Featured image of Mayor Edna Branch Jackson with retired SPD Lt. John White, 2014.
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Addie Byrd Byers
March is Women's History Month, an observance that honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States. American women have struggled throughout our history to gain rights not simply for themselves but for many other underrepresented and disenfranchised groups in America. Addie Byrd Byers is an excellent embodiment of this spirit. Born in Liberty County, Georgia, Addie graduated from Beach High School, followed by Savannah State University and Columbia University. As a lifelong educator and member of the NAACP, including a stint as Vice President of the Savannah Branch, she was vocal about her commitment to equal rights for Black citizens. She left her mark on our community as a member of the Chatham-Liberty-Effingham Regional Library Board by challenging and overturning segregationist policies that kept Black children out of certain public libraries. For her work, she was given the NAACP Freedom Award in 1985 and a street is named after her in the Cloverdale neighborhood. Addie Byrd Byers passed away in 2003 at the age of 97. Image from the W. W. Law Photograph Collection, Item #1121-100_1559.