Tommie Brown facts for kids

Tommie Florence Brown (born in 1934) is an important leader from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She served in the Tennessee state government as a representative from 1992 to 2012. She was a member of the Democratic Party.

Early Life and Education

Tommie Brown was born in 1934 in Rome, Georgia. She was the first of three children. She grew up in Chattanooga.

She went to Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and earned her first degree. Later, she earned a master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She also received two more advanced degrees in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work.

Career as a Social Worker and Teacher

Before becoming a politician, Tommie Brown worked to help children. She was a case manager and supervisor for the Tennessee Department of Welfare. She also helped train other social workers.

From 1971 to 1998, she taught Social Work Research at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She was a respected professor there.

Working for Fair Representation

Tommie Brown was a key person in an important lawsuit in 1989. This case was called Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga. The lawsuit was about making sure that all people, especially African Americans, had a fair chance to be represented in local government. Before this lawsuit, it was very hard for minority groups to get elected. Tommie Brown and the other people involved won the case. This victory helped make local elections more fair for everyone.

Serving in the State Legislature

In 1992, Tommie Brown was elected to represent the 28th District of Tennessee. This district includes part of Chattanooga in Hamilton County. She served for seven terms, which means she was a representative for 20 years!

She took over from Clarence B. Robinson, who was the first African American man to represent that area in the state government.

Committee Roles

During her time in the House of Representatives, Tommie Brown worked on several important committees:

• She served for 20 years on the Finance Ways and Means committee. This committee helps decide how the state spends its money.
• She was the vice-chair of the House of Representatives' Education Committee. This committee works on laws about schools and learning.
• She was also the chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, which focuses on colleges and universities.
• She was a member of the Children and Family committee and the Domestic Relations Subcommittee. These groups work on laws that help families and children.

Later, the political areas for elections were changed. This meant that two areas that had many African American voters were combined into one. Because of this, Tommie Brown had to run against JoAnne Favors, another state representative.

Awards and Recognition

Tommie Brown has received many honors for her work. In 1970, she was named the National Social Worker of the Year Award.

A school in Hamilton County is named after her. "The Dr. Tommie F. Brown Academy for Classical Studies" opened in 2002. It is now called "Tommie F. Brown International Academy" and is located near the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. This shows how much her community respects her contributions.