JoAnn Watson (April 19, 1951 – July 10, 2023) was an American pastor, media personality and was a Detroit city councilor for ten years. She was an on-air personality for 910 AM Superstation/ WFDF and Comcast Channel 91 WHPR Watson was an associate professor at Wayne County Community College. Watson also served as the Associate Pastor of West Side Unity Church and was a faculty member at the Unity Urban Ministerial School.

Early life and education

JoAnn Watson was born on April 19, 1951 and raised in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. She was the daughter of Jefferson Nichols Sr. and Rev. Lestine Kent Nichols. After graduating from Detroit Central High School in 1968, Watson attended the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and was later recognized as a "Distinguished Alumnus" and, in 1996, given the "Leonard F. Sain Esteemed Alumni Award". Watson also was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humanities.

Community activism

Watson began her career in public service as the executive director of the Downtown Detroit

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

. She would eventually rise to the position of assistant executive director of the National YWCA. From 1987 to 1990, she worked the New York headquarters and directed their Office of Racial Justice. She later worked the executive director of the Detroit

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

. In 1989, Watson was selected as a delegate to the Women for Meaningful Summits/USA, which was held in the

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until it dissolved in 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by are ...

. In 2001, Watson was selected to serve as a delegate to the UN World Conference Against Racism. In 2016, Watson was chosen by

American Girl American Girl is an American line of dolls released on May 5, 1986, by Pleasant Company. The dolls portray eight- to fourteen-year-old girls of various ethnicities, faiths, nationalities, and social classes throughout different time periods ...

as one of a six-member boardto advise them on the creation of Melody—a doll that depicts a 9-year old African American girl living in Detroit during the Civil Rights Movement. Watson was the founding President of the National Association of Black Talk Show Hosts; was a consultant to Pathways to College; was a member of the Detroit Council of Elders; was a member of the National Black Council of Elders. and served as President of the National Anti-Klan Network and as President of the Center for Democratic Renewal.

Published writings

Watson was a contributing author to "Should America Pay?", Dr. Raymond Winbush's 2003 publication on reparations, and wrote the foreword to

Herb Boyd Herb Boyd (born November 1, 1938) is an American journalist, teacher, author, and activist. His articles appear regularly in the '' New York Amsterdam News''. He is a former teacher of black studies at the City College of New York and the Colle ...

's 2017 book, ''Black Detroit: A People's History of Self Determination''.

Political career

Prior to her service as a member of the city council, Watson served as public liaison for Congressman

John Conyers John James Conyers Jr. (May 16, 1929October 27, 2019) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. Conyers was the sixth-longest serving member of Congress and the lo ...

. In 2003, Watson filed to run in a Special Election called to fill a vacancy on the

Detroit City Council The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The full-time council is required to meet every business day for at least 10 months of the year, with at least eight of these meetings occurring at a locatio ...

, which was created when Councilwoman Brenda Scott died on September 2, 2002. On April 29, 2003, Watson won the Special Election 52% to 48%, defeating Gil Hill. Watson would subsequently win re-election to City Council and served as City Council President Pro Tem. During Watson's tenure on City Council, her staff included future Michigan State Legislator

Coleman Young II Coleman Alexander Young II (born Joel Loving II; October 18, 1982) is an American Democratic politician who is a current member of the Detroit City Council and a former member of the Michigan Senate. In the Michigan Senate, he represented the ...

, who interned in her office. In 2013, Watson announced her intention to retire. In December of that year, a celebration of her career was held at the

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (The Wright) is a museum of African-American history and culture, located in Detroit, Michigan. Located in the city's Midtown Cultural Center, The Wright is one of the world's oldest an ...

, where Dick Gregory again was the headliner.

Death

Watson died on July 10, 2023, at the age of 72.

References