Educator, Community and Political Activist
My life has been defined by service to others and a thirst for knowledge. My late grandmother and mother were my role models. Their dedication to God, family and education provided the foundation for all of my achievements. I entered Spelman College on a full tuition scholarship and graduated in 1968 with a B. A. in Mathematics. In 1974, I received an M. Ed. from Georgia State University.
My love for knowledge and caring for others led to a rewarding high school mathematics teaching career with the Atlanta Public Schools System. I was twice voted Math Teacher of the Year and once Teacher of the Year. As a teacher, I soon discovered that the learning experience inside the classroom was greatly impacted by community and political forces outside of the classroom. Hence, my lifelong mission as a community and political activist began. She became an outspoken advocate for the elderly, women, and children.
I served as President of Atlanta Federation of Teachers Local 1565 advocating for better training and higher salaries for teachers and paraprofessionals as well as curriculums that met the needs of students. I was elected twice to the East Point City Council and as the City’s Mayor in 2010. In 2013, I was elected Chairperson of the South Fulton Municipal Association.
Some of my political and leadership awards include four Atlanta’s Top Black Women of Influence Certificates: National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter; Women Flying High, LLC Certificate of Achievement; the Atlanta Club Chapter of Frontiers International Distinguish Service Award; and the Women of the Atlanta Job Corps Leadership Excellence Award.
While I am proud of all of my achievements as a community and political activist, I am most proud and thankful for the commitment of others who helped to make the numerous organizations that I founded successful such as: Brownie Troup # 531 at Ben Hill United Methodist Church; East Point Citizens Task Force; Concerned Citizens of East Point, and Co-Founder of East Point Action Committee. I was a charter member of the Atlanta Airport Jaycettes, and I organized public housing tenants associations in East Point. I believes that my greatest personal achievement to date was the creation of E. D. Cubed, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that I founded with Sarah Merritt Finley, Ernestine Dearing Hogan and Delories Epps Horton.
My most rewarding achievements have been a result of my individual volunteer work namely, the United Way J. C. Penney Golden Rule Award for Individual Volunteerism for Cascade Women and Children Shelter; President George H. Bush Point of Lights Certificate for Grady Hospital children service volunteer; and Greenbriar Mall’s Community Icon Award.
My husband, Melvin and I have been married for forty-six years and we have two daughters and two granddaughters. I am a member of Headland Heights United Methodist Church.