Tommie Brown facts for kids

Tommie Florence Brown (born in 1934) is an important person from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She served as a representative for Chattanooga in the Tennessee state government 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 college at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, she earned her bachelor's degree. She then earned a master's degree in social work from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Later, she earned two more advanced degrees, a DSW and a PhD, in social work from the Columbia University School of Social Work.

After her studies, Dr. Brown worked to help children. She was a case manager and supervisor for the Tennessee Department of Welfare. She also taught Social Work Research at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She taught there from 1971 to 1998. She was even a special professor of Social Work at the university.

Fighting for Fairness

Tommie Brown was the main person in a big court case called Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga. This case happened in 1989. She and 11 other people won the case.

The lawsuit was about making sure everyone had a fair chance to be represented in local government. Before this case, it was very hard for African Americans in Chattanooga to get elected. This was because of how the voting system worked. The court's decision helped make sure that all groups could have their voices heard in politics.

Serving in Government

In 1992, Tommie Brown was elected to represent the 28th District of Tennessee. This district is part of Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee. She served seven terms, which means she was in office for 20 years. She took over from C.B. Robinson, who was the first African American man to represent that area in the state government.

During her time in the House, she worked on many important committees. She served for 20 years on the Finance Ways and Means committee. This committee deals with how the state spends its money. She was also the vice-chair of the House's Education Committee. She led the Subcommittee on Higher Education. She was also a member of the Children and Family committee. She worked on the Domestic Relations Subcommittee, which deals with family issues.

Later, the Republican Party gained control of the state House and Senate. They changed the legislative districts. This change combined two districts that had many African American voters into one. This meant that Tommie Brown had to run against JoAnne Favors. JoAnne Favors was also a state representative and had even managed Brown's campaign before.

Honored for Her Work

In 1970, Tommie Brown received a special award. She was named the National Social Worker of the Year Award.

A school in Hamilton County is named after her. It is an elementary school (grades K-5). It opened in 2002 next to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It was first called "The Dr. Tommie F. Brown Academy for Classical Studies." Now, it is known as "Tommie F. Brown International Academy."