Unita Blackwell
American civil rights activist (1933–2019) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Unita Zelma Blackwell (March 18, 1933 – May 13, 2019) was an American civil rights activist who was the first African-American woman to be elected mayor in the U.S. state of Mississippi.[1] Blackwell was a project director for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and helped organize voter drives for African Americans across Mississippi. She was also a founder of the US–China Peoples Friendship Association, a group dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between the United States and China. She also served as an advisor to six US presidents: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.[2]
Unita Blackwell | |
---|---|
Mayor of Mayersville, Mississippi | |
In office 1976–2001 | |
Personal details | |
Born | U. Z. Brown (1933-03-18)March 18, 1933 Lula, Mississippi, U.S. |
Died | May 13, 2019(2019-05-13) (aged 86) Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Jeremiah Blackwell Willie Wright |
Children | 1 |
Education | University of Massachusetts Amherst (MRP) |
Occupation | Activist |
Barefootin', Blackwell's autobiography, published in 2006, charts her activism.[3]