Former Detroit City Council member Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson dies at 72
(CBS DETROIT) - Former Detroit City Council member, the Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, has died. She was 72.
In a statement on Monday, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield described Watson as a "trailblazer, stalwart and one-of-a-kind freedom fighter who loved her people and the Lord."
Watson became the first woman to serve as executive director at the Detroit NAACP and was a former delegate to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism.
"There are so many elected officials, leaders, advocates, pastors, business professionals and community leaders that are who they are because Mother Watson was who she was — present company included. I had the distinct honor of appointing Mother Watson to the Detroit's first-ever Reparations Task Force recently, in honor of her life's work and dedication around the issue," Sheffield said. "Further honoring her legacy, we launched the Task Force at her church and having the opportunity to appoint her, along with our subsequent conversations, are memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.
"Today, God called upon our beloved Mother, the Honorable Rev. Dr. Joann Watson, saying "Job well done my faithful servant" and she went home to be with the Lord. I send my sincerest condolences and prayers to her family, friends, and the scores of Detroiters and Americans whose lives she touched and that are mourning her death. She will be sorely missed. May God Bless her soul."
Statements from city, county and state leaders:
"I am sorry for the loss of JoAnn Watson. Her passing is indeed a loss for the community, and she made significant contributions as a dedicated public servant in Detroit. Her commitment to advocating for fairness and justice will be remembered. JoAnn's impact and influence were felt by many. "Her dedication to the betterment of the city and her fearlessness in challenging unjust systems have left a lasting impression. Her legacy serves as an inspiration for others to continue the important work she started. May JoAnn Watson's memory be cherished, and may her contributions continue to resonate within the community she served." - Wayne County Executive Warren Evans
"Tonight I am shocked and heartbroken to learn that our city and our nation has lost a true public servant and freedom fighter, the Rev. Dr. Joann Watson.
"Rev. Dr. Watson was a God-loving force of a woman who made it her life's work to lift up the voices of those who were so often silenced. She not only loved others fiercely but she fought fearlessly every day for equality and freedom. Rev. Dr. Watson was the first (and only) woman to serve as the Executive Director of the nation's largest branch of the NAACP here in Detroit, a former Detroit City Council Member and former President Pro Tem of the Council, a former delegate to both the Women for Meaningful Summits/USA and to the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, and an appointee to the first Reparations Task Force in Detroit's history – in 2016 she even served on a select committee of only six individuals who helped to ensure the historical and cultural accuracy of Melody, American Girl's 9-year old African American doll from the Civil Rights Movement. Yet, this long list of professional accolades only scratches the surface of the legacy Rev. Dr. Watson leaves behind.
"My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of Rev. Dr. Joann Watson as they grieve her sudden passing, and I pray they will be comforted by the knowledge that she is now in the arms of our loving Father, at home with the Lord. Rev. Dr. Joann Watson touched the lives of people not only all over Detroit, but throughout the world, and her work, as well as her memory, will live on for generations to come." - Michigan Rep. Karen Whitsett
"Dr. Watson was the very first public official to endorse me when I first announced that I was running for Wayne County Prosecutor many years ago. She was deeply supportive of women and was a trailblazer way ahead of her time. When she was with you, she was with you. She would not hesitate to "tell you about yourself" and she always did it with love, sisterhood, and it came directly from her heart. But you knew when you had been schooled. There was no one else like her past, present, and future." - Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy
