This week I want to take a look at the women of Atlanta who have positively impacted the city, and Georgia overall, over the past few years. Within the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of women holding positions that have previously only been occupied by men. I think it is important to acknowledge the hard work of these women, and to let them know that their hard work does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Shirley Franklin was the 58th Mayor of Atlanta. Franklin was the first woman to be elected as Mayor of Atlanta and the first black woman to be elected mayor of a major Southern city.
Keisha Lance Bottoms is the 60th Mayor of Atlanta, and started her term in 2018. She served on the Atlanta City Council for 8 years prior to becoming Atlanta's second black, woman Mayor.
Stacey Abrams was elected to represent District 89 in the House of Representatives in 2013. She was the "first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African-American to lead in the House of Representatives."
Cathy Woolard was elected to the Atlanta City Council for District 6, eventually becoming the first woman to be the President of Atlanta City Council. At the time of her election, 1997, Woolard was the first openly gay elected official ever elected in Georgia.
Jamie Green-Ferguson is the executive director of Atlanta Pride. Green-Ferguson was first involved with the organization as a volunteer and has now been included on the Board of Directors.
Erika Shields was the second woman Police Chief of Atlanta. Shields held the office from 2016 to 2020. Shields was the first openly gay Police Chief of Atlanta.
This is just a short list of the women who have impacted and served Atlanta. This list will continue to grow, and I am excited to see the work and progress of all the women in politics in Atlanta in the years to come.
For More Information:
I just want to say that I just love the whole concept of your blog Shelby! While I haven't heard of all of these Atlanta women I have heard of a few like Stacey Abrams and Keisha Lance Bottoms. I know they've done great things for our community! It's good to know we have all of these hard working women making Atlanta a better city. It's tough working in the public sector and I'm sure they face even more difficulties breaking down gender barriers. I hope they will continue to inspire young women across Georgia, and I hope these women know what an inspiration they are to aspiring public servants. Thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the concept of your blog and find it super interesting due to it being about Georgia. It is really nice to see that all of these women have impacted our city in such a powerful way. I did not know about majority of these women, but now I do and I find it so inspiring. Erika Shields seems to be breaking more than one barrier in our world with not only being the second female Police Chief of Atlanta, but also being openly gay. I really hope that girls of all ages see this as a possibility for them as well! I really enjoyed this post and the whole setup of your blog, good job!
ReplyDelete