Dozens of people gathered at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Wednesday morning to honor five local women whose work has made a positive impact in the community.
Carol Berz, councilwoman for the city of Chattanooga; Tommie Brown, former state representative; JoAnne Favors, former state representative; Emily O'Donnell, a local attorney with a history of working on social justice issues; and Elaine Swafford, executive director of the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, were honored in recognition of Human Rights Day and nearing the 100th anniversary of passing the 19th Amendment.
Staff photo by Wyatt Massey / Former state representative JoAnne Favors (right) accepts an award from Robin Derryberry (left) during the Human Rights Day celebration at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Dec. 11, 2019.The event, organized by the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, also featured poetry from Carla Elliott and a speech by local historian Linda Moss Mines, who took on the role of Abby Crawford Milton, a statewide leader in the suffrage movement during the early 20th century. Milton's advocacy was critical in getting Tennessee to ratify the 19th Amendment. Tennessee was the deciding state in the 1920 ratification of women's right to vote.
Mines detailed the local fight against the prohibition on women's voting or, as she described it, the "devil of discrimination and prejudice." Women who were pushing for equal rights faced physical threats and turned down bribes to stop their advocacy, she said.
Staff photo by Wyatt Massey / Local historian Linda Moss Mines speaks at the Human Rights Day celebration at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Dec. 11, 2019. Mines dressed as Abby Crawford Milton, a local women's suffrage advocate, to honor the nearing 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Berz said the program emphasized the legacy of the female fight for justice and how the work of previous generations allowed others to accomplish in their own careers.
Favors, who was the first black woman elected to the Hamilton County Commission, echoed the feeling.
"This is a historic occasion," she said. "One hundred years is not a long time. So many women have worked through the years to achieve for women."
Staff photo by Wyatt Massey / Emily O'Donnell holds her award alongside Beverly Watts (left) and Robin Derryberry (second from right) at the Human Rights Day celebration at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Dec. 11, 2019.Proclamations for the day came from Gov. Bill Lee, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. Berke said the women recognized during the event have made major improvements for the community and he was honored to have learned from them all.
O'Donnell, who previously represented low-income people at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, said she learned about the award several weeks ago and the recognition was an important accomplishment.
"I'm really honored to be recognized among the four other women who've been heroes of mine," she said.
From the reporter
I became a journalist to help people see people as people. But highlighting the human side of every policy decision, and how it is affecting your community, takes time as well as support from readers. If you believe in telling the stories of people in your community, please subscribe to the Times Free Press today. Contact me at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Find me on Twitter at @News4Mass.