Cora M. Brown
Cora Brown was born on this date in 1914. She was a Black politician, social worker, and the first Black woman in the United States to be elected to the state senate (Michigan, 1952).
Cora Mae Brown was from Bessemer, Alabama. When her family moved to Detroit, she was eight years old. After graduating from Cass Technical High School and Fisk University in Tennessee, she worked with the Detroit Police Department. At the same time, she attended Wayne State University Law School. She graduated in 1948 and was admitted to the Michigan Bar.
Brown’s political life showed her as being defeated in the Democratic primary, 1950, 1951; a member of the Michigan state senate, 1953-56 (2nd District 1953-54, 3rd District 1955-56); and a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 1st District, 1956.
After supporting Eisenhower in the 1956 election, Cora Brown was appointed special associate general counsel of the U.S. Post Office in 1957. She died on December 17, 1972.
Reference Library of Black America Volumes 1 through 5
Edited by Mpho Mabunda
Copyright 1998, Gale Research, Detroit, MI
