1. Living Legends of Florida School Board Members

2. Lyndon Johnson assumed the presidency in November 1963 upon the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In the presidential race of 1964, Johnson was officially elected in a landslide victory and used this mandate to push for legislation he believed would improve the American way of life, such as stronger voting-rights laws.
The Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, , aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African-Americans from exercising their right to vote under the 15th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The act significantly widened the franchise and is considered among the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. History.
The purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Project is to highlight the achievement of African-American women throughout the State of Florida in elected positions. Positions such as School Board Members, City and County Commissioners, Senate and House of Representatives will be recognized. The project highlights the 1st African- American female elected in each of these positions. There is no artifact in Florida’s history that recognizes the great accomplishments of these trailblazers until NOW! They are the “LIVING LEGENDS” of Florida!

3. Sheila Cummings Bradford County
2014-Present

4. Dr. Kathleen C. Wright Broward County

5. Claudia Brown Curry Escambia County

6. Teresa Ann Martin Franklin County
1996-Current

7. Betty Baker Gadsden County

8. Doris Ross Reddick Hillsborough County

9. Dr. Doris Alston Leon County

10. Barbara Harvey Manatee County

11. Angie BoyTon Marion County
2010-Current

12. Dr. Brenda Reddout Polk County

13. Dothea Smith Putnam County

14. Dr. Donna Mills St. Lucie County
2010-Current

15. Ida D. Wright Volusia County
2013-Current

16. Mildred T. Wilkerson Walton County

17. School Board Members
Barbara Sharpe- Alachua County ( / )
Henrietta Swilley- Bay County ( )
Barbara Foreman- Columbia County ( )
Gwendolyn E. Gibson- Duval County ( )
Theda Wilson- Flagler County ( )
Jeanie Daniels- Hamilton County (2008-Present)
Gwen Sanders-Hill- Highlands County ( )
Kathryn A. Wilson- Indian River County ( )
Elisabeth Hall- Jefferson County ( )
Julia Hale- Levy County ( )

18. School Board Members Dr. Jerri Haynes- Madison County (2002-2004)
Joyce Hobson- Martin County ( / )
Joyce Knox- Miami-Dade County ( )
Jean Long- Okaloosa County ( )
Kattie J. Adams- Orange County ( )
Beverly Green- Palm Beach County ( )
Mary L. Pyus Brown- Pinellas County ( )
Muriel Owens- Suwannee County ( )
Thelma Wood- Washington County ( )