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A resolution honoring Rosetta Miller-Perry on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
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WHEREAS, Rosetta Miller-Perry, known as Queen mother of the Black press is a United States Navy veteran, businesswoman, educator, journalist, mortician, and is a distinguished and influential community leader in Nashville, having dedicated her life by fighting against institutional racism; and
WHEREAS, Rosetta Miller-Perry born Rosetta Irvin on July 7, 1934 in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, is the third oldest descendant in the Anderson and Mary Hall-Irvin family of nine; and
WHEREAS, Miller-Perry, a 1952 alumna of Coraopolis Senior High School, Coraopolis, PA. and
WHEREAS, Miller-Perry received a bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis (1956), Mortuary Science degree, (DMS) from John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science (1957), and matriculated at TSU, Herzl Junior College (Chicago) and the University School of Law at Howard University (Washington, D.C.); and
WHEREAS, in April 1960 Miller-Perry was actively involved as a federal official with the U S Commission on Civil Rights, during the civil rights movement in Washington, D.C. and Nashville, collaborating with Atty. Z. Alexander Looby, Curley McGruder, Reverend Kelly Miller Smith, Sr. and other civil rights leaders; and
WHEREAS, in the Fall of 1968, Miller-Perry joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and SCLC members in Memphis and witnessed the chaos before, during and after his murder while employed as a Federal observer for the U S Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, Miller-Perry transferred to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1975 and became the First Black Female Area Director in the South retiring 1990; and
WHEREAS, Miller-Perry in 1991 established Perry and Perry Associates which owns the longest continuously published African American newspaper in Middle Tennessee and the only African American woman publisher to own a newspaper building in Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, The Tennessee Tribune newspaper, a vital voice for African Americans state-wide, provides a platform for news, events, and perspectives that reflect the concerns of its readers; and
WHEREAS, in 1996, Miller-Perry established the Anthony J. Cebrun Journalism Center for High School Students under the umbrella of the newspaper; and
WHEREAS, in 1998 Miller-Perry founded the first Black Chamber of Commerce in Tennessee.
WHEREAS, Mrs. Rosetta Miller-Perry celebrated her 90th birthday on July 7, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Miller-Perry has spent decades bettering Nashville and Davidson County through her activism, journalism, and public service; and
WHEREAS, following her service in the United States Navy, Mrs. Miller-Perry came to Nashville actively involved in the city’s sit-in movement before beginning to work for the U.S. Civil Rights Commission; and
WHEREAS, she served as the first African-American field director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Nashville and remained in government service for decades; and
WHEREAS, following her federal service, Mrs. Miller-Perry began publishing Contempora, a Tennessee-focused African-American magazine; and
WHEREAS, in 1991, Mrs. Miller-Perry founded the Tennessee Tribune, a community-oriented newspaper created to speak truth to power and share positive news about Nashville’s African-American community; and
WHEREAS, the Tribune has become a treasured and trusted news source in Nashville and Davidson County that provides key news and insights in the region; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Miller-Perry also helped establish the Greater Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce, which works to be a preeminent resource for Nashville-area African-American businesses to connect learn, grow, and prosper; and
WHEREAS, she has also served on a number of boards, helped create several scholarships, and received numerous awards for her decades of service; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Miller-Perry’s tireless efforts and contributions have benefitted Nashville and Davidson County and positively affected many lives; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper for the Metropolitan Council to recognize Rosetta Miller-Perry for her hard work and commitment on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as recognizing the work and legacy of Mrs. Rosetta Miller-Perry on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
Section 2. That this resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.