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A resolution honoring the life and legacy of Rosetta Miller-Perry.
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WHEREAS, Rosetta Miller-Perry, known as "Queen Mother of the Black Press," passed away on June 26, 2026. During her extraordinary life, she was a United States Navy veteran, businesswoman, educator, journalist, mortician, she was a distinguished and influential community leader in Nashville, having dedicated her life to fighting against institutional racism and the disparate impact of poverty; and
WHEREAS, born on July 7, 1934, in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Anderson and Mary Hall Irvin, Mrs. Miller-Perry was encouraged early in life to seek truth and speak up and speak out, a calling she fulfilled throughout her lifetime; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Miller-Perry received a bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis, a Mortuary Science degree from John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science, and matriculated at Tennessee State University, Herzl Junior College, and the University School of Law at Howard University; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Miller-Perry dedicated her life to the betterment of others. Mrs. Miller-Perry was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, working as a federal observer during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-bearing witness and advocating for justice at great personal risk; and
WHEREAS, as Director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Nashville from 1975, she faithfully investigated workplace discrimination and championed accountability and opportunity for marginalized individuals; and
WHEREAS, after retiring from government service, she invested $70,000 of her own money to found Perry & Perry Associates and launched Contempora magazine in 1990, followed by The Tennessee Tribune in 1991-statewide publications that elevated Black voices and experiences for more than three decades; and
WHEREAS, The Tennessee Tribune newspaper, headquartered on the historic Jefferson Street Corridor, serves as a vital voi...
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