Ann McBride Norton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ann McBride Norton
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| Born | Virginia Ann deGravelles  23 June 1944 Lafayette |
| Died | 5 May 2020 (aged 75) |
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| Occupation | Lobbyist |
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| Children | Mary McBride |
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| Family | John W. deGravelles |
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Ann McBride Norton (born June 23, 1944 – died May 5, 2020) was an American activist and a leader of non-profit organizations. She was the president of Common Cause, a group that works to make government fair and open. She also started Photovoices International, a project that used photography to help people share their stories in China and Indonesia.
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About Ann McBride Norton
Ann McBride Norton was born Virginia Ann deGravelles in Lafayette, Louisiana, on June 23, 1944. Her father, Charles Camille deGravelles, was involved in politics in Louisiana.
She attended Louisiana State University but left in 1964. Later, in 1992, she earned a bachelor's degree from American University in Washington D.C.
Working for Change at Common Cause
In the 1970s, Ann McBride Norton started as a volunteer at Common Cause. This group works to make sure the government is open and honest. She helped during the time of the Watergate scandal, which was a big political event in the United States.
She became a main lobbyist for Common Cause. A lobbyist works to influence lawmakers and government decisions. She then became the Vice President of the organization.
In 1995, Ann McBride Norton was chosen as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Common Cause. She was the first woman to hold this important role. She spoke out a lot about the Equal Rights Amendment, which aimed to give equal rights to all Americans. She also led the effort to pass the McCain Feingold Act, a law about how political campaigns are funded. She often appeared on TV and radio to talk about making political funding fairer.
In 1998, she was a special guest at the Harvard University Kennedy Institute of Politics.
Helping Communities with Photovoices
After leaving Common Cause in 1999, Ann McBride Norton moved to Southwest China with her husband, Edward M. Norton. There, they worked on a project to protect nature in the Yunnan region.
In China, Ann McBride Norton started and led a project called Photovoices. This project taught local people how to take pictures and tell the stories behind them. The photos and stories helped scientists and government officials learn about nature and how people lived with their environment.
The goal of Photovoices was to help local people have a say in decisions that affected their lives. Ann McBride Norton ran Photovoices projects in five areas in Northwest Yunnan, working with local villages and the Chinese government.
The American Museum of Natural History in New York showed an exhibition of the Photovoices pictures and stories in 2005. These photos were also shown in other places, like the Shanghai Museum.
Ann McBride Norton continued her Photovoices work when she moved to Indonesia in 2005. She worked with groups like WWF-Indonesia and National Geographic Magazine. Her projects covered six different places across Indonesia. The photos and stories were displayed at the United States Ambassador's home in Jakarta and traveled as part of an exhibition. Photovoices International still works on projects in Indonesia today.
In 2005, Ann McBride Norton also received a special award called the Fulbright Masaryk Fellowship. She taught at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, about how people can speak up and get involved in new democracies.
She also shared her experiences by sending "Postcards from China" and "Postcards from Indonesia" to National Public Radio while she lived in those countries.
Personal Life
Ann McBride Norton loved to travel, hike, and explore. She enjoyed river running and scuba diving. She passed away at her home in Washington D.C., on May 5, 2020, at the age of 75. She had complications from Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by her husband and her two daughters, Claire McBride and Mary McBride.
See also
- Three Parallel Rivers
