Fannie Lewis

Fannie Lewis (June 6, 1926 – August 11, 2008) was Cleveland, Ohio's longest-serving councilwoman and civil rights activist, best known for the Fannie Lewis Law requiring government contracts in Cleveland provide for employment of local workers.

Fannie Lewis
Member of Cleveland City Council from Ward 7
In office January 2, 1980 – August 11, 2008
Personal details
Born	June 6, 1926 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	August 11, 2008 (aged 82) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Democratic

Early life

Lewis was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She spent her early years in Marked Tree, Arkansas, where she attended George Washington Carver High School. As a child, she worked in the fields picking cotton in Marion, Arkansas, where she witnessed a white farmer publicly murder one of her friends from school without facing repercussions. Her schoolteacher, also from Marion, was tied to a tree and burned to death for teaching black children to read.[1]

Cleveland city council

Lewis, a Democrat, served on the Cleveland City Council from January 2, 1980 until her death on August 11, 2008, making her the longest-serving female council member in the history of the city.[2][3] She clashed with established politicians, calling Mayor Michael White a demon, Councilman Joe Cimperman a Judas Goat, and mayor George Voinovich crazy. She met with George W. Bush in 2002, who stated "I had the honor of listening to a local elected official, Ms. Fannie Lewis, who had some things to say." Lewis was featured in the documentary No Umbrella: Election Day in the City, which highlighted her efforts to get more voting machines to her constituents precincts, as they were made to stand in the rain for hours waiting to vote. She was known for advocating the Cleveland School voucher program and for the Fannie Lewis Law, a 2003 statute that requires a portion of public works projects in Cleveland to be performed by Cleveland residents.[4][5]

References

1. Schwarz, Ted (August 13, 2008). "I'll Get My Rest When the Lord Is Done With Me Here". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
2. "LEWIS, FANNIE". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
3. Stoessel, Amy Ann. "Fannie Lewis Former Cleveland city councilwoman". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
4. Tobin, Mike (August 11, 2008). "Outspoken, revered councilwoman Fannie Lewis dies". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
5. "HOME RULE WINS AGAIN". March 28, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2019.