Black women continue to make history and shatter glass ceilings in local, state, and federal government, especially within Georgia. On the heels of Women’s History Month, some of the women breaking barriers as mayors of various Georgia cities, including former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, gathered on Tuesday for a luncheon to celebrate and honor their notable achievements. Hosted by The National Association of Women-Owned Small Businesses, the luncheon featured small businesses offering products such as wellness items and an array of jewelry, and it was a chance for women from all over Georgia to network, fellowship, and support small businesses.
With less than a month until early voting in Georgia’s highly anticipated gubernatorial race, candidate Lance Bottoms said it was an honor to celebrate her fellow Georgia mayors and support the entrepreneurial spirit of female business owners. If Lance Bottoms wins Georgia’s gubernatorial race in November, she will become the first Black person and the first woman to take the helm as governor, following her status as the second Black woman elected mayor of Atlanta.
“Supporting small businesses really is in my DNA. My mother owned a hair salon for almost three decades. I know how important it is for women to be able to provide for their families and have the flexibility they need to provide. And the stream of income for our family really was a life changer, and then to be able to celebrate with women leaders across the metro area is something that we should all be doing, especially in this season,” Lance Bottoms said to The Atlanta Voice.
“It’s not always top of mind for me that I’m a history maker, but it really is just a responsibility of being a leader and all that represents. I’m showing my children and people throughout various communities what leadership can and should look like. It really should be reflective of all of us. So I’ll let history tell its story, but, of course, I’m honored.”
Amid Atlanta and Georgia’s constantly changing political landscape, with impacts that echo across the nation, Black women are also making waves in the state’s smaller cities, opening the door to more change. The Black female mayors in attendance were greeted with a standing ovation as they were welcomed into the luncheon, where their special contributions to Georgia’s communities were recognized.
The event featured Bainbridge, Ga., Mayor Sylvia Washington, the city’s first Black and female mayor; Jonesboro, Ga., Mayor Donya Sartor, the city’s first Black mayor; Palmetto, Ga., Mayor Teresa Thomas-Smith, the city’s first Black and female mayor; Metter, Ga., Mayor Rashida Taylor, the city’s first female mayor since 1974; Hampton, Ga., Mayor Ann Tarpley, the city’s first Black and female mayor; Cairo, Ga., Mayor Arlisha Williams, the city’s first female mayor; Forest Park, Ga., Mayor Gwen Webb Ellison, one of the first two students to integrate Forest Park High School; Donalsonville, Ga., Mayor Twynette Reynolds, the city’s first female mayor; and Swainsboro, Ga., Mayor Lillie Ann Brown, the city’s first Black and female mayor.
“Throughout the metro area, we have a number of women leaders, from our county commission chairs to mayors. As go women, so go our communities quite often. We are often on the front lines of being sensitive to what the needs are in our communities, especially for our young people. We are heading households, we are heading civic organizations and governments, and it’s just important for people, especially women, to see leadership reflected in other women,” Lance Bottoms said.