Celebrating Flonzie Brown Wright As A Civil Rights Legend In Mississippi During Women’s History Month. By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.

“If your space is no better when you leave it than when you found it, you need to redefine your journey”. These words were spoken by Civil Rights activist, Flonzie Brown Wright some years ago.

This compelling piece of prose should resonate with each of us as we move about in life.

I met Flonzie Brown Wright in the middle 1990’s in Ohio. We worked together at Miami University of Ohio (Middletown Campus) where she served as the Student Affairs Scholar In Residence.

Upon reflection, it was a fitting title for a legend. She is simply a modern-day heroine and a role model for the ages.

Her life has been filled with twists and turns for justice and fairness. Her victories have created hope and opportunity for thousands of people.

Flonzie Brown Wright has lived out the lyrics, “I am on the battlefield for my Lord, I’m on the battlefield for my Lord and I promised Him that I would serve Him till I die, I am on the battlefield for my Lord”.

Her involvement in equity and equal rights during the early days was not called social justice. It was simply called right versus wrong.

She wanted to ensure that right won out over wrong and that good prevailed over evil. We know that wrong and evil don’t rest. It is a battle every hour of every day.

The times have changed yet not enough for her to slow down and stop. She can’t stop and won’t stop until peace and justice are the call of the day.

Flonzie Brown Wright has made an impact and an imprint on the social ills that beset the state of Mississippi.

Her determination and grit have given rise to increased rights for those in the state who have been undermined and under-resourced.

For example, Flonzie Brown “Goodloe” Wright was the first African American female elected official in a Mississippi bi-racial town. She was commissioned by the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1964 as an investigator of employment discrimination complaints.

Flonzie has long understood the importance of voting and jobs as these two create the quality of life for the American dream. These tenets are fundamental to all people who want a chance to be all that they can be.

She has walked beside and been in meetings with the great Civil Rights leaders of our time. Flonzie has assisted in planning and orchestrating marches and demonstrations.

Her tenacity and toughness have created pathways for others to emulate. She has been a trailblazer and a stalwart supporter of the have-nots wherever she has lived.

To some who have built barriers to break us, she has been a bridge over troubled waters. To those who wanted to tear us down, she has aways found a way to build us up.

Proudly, I say that meeting Flonzie Brown “Goodloe” Wright was a defining moment in the lives of my family. Her persona and demeanor give you hope and inspiration. In her, you see a better day and a brighter future.

Flonzie Brown Wright is a much sought after speaker by colleges and universities. Her story of perseverance and persistence has given students a blueprint for social activism.

During her professional life, she received advanced administrative training from the National Office of the NAACP in New York NY and was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Tougaloo College in Jackson MS.

Dr. Flonzie, as she is affectionately called, understands the importance of passing on historical information to the next generation. She serves as the coordinator of Black History Month programming at New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson MS.

Her awards and honors all punctuate her effectiveness as a change agent in the state of Mississippi and America.

It is my strong opinion that Mississippi should create the “Flonzie Brown “Goodloe” Wright Anchor For Justice Award” to be given to a citizen yearly who is a social justice champion. March is Women’s History Month, and the time is fitting to honor her with this distinction.

Flonzie Brown Wright has given Mississippi her heart, her mind and her good works. Now it is the state’s turn to honor her with the “Flonzie Brown “Goodloe” Wright Anchor For Justice Award”.