Rita Jackson Samuels (April 25, 1945 – March 27, 2018)[1][2] was an activist in the women's rights and civil rights movements.[3] She worked as a secretary for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and participated in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. She was the first African-American woman to serve on the staff of the governor of Georgia,[2] then-governor Jimmy Carter. Samuels later served as a White House consultant during the Carter administration.[4] In 1980, Samuels founded the Georgia Coalition of Black Women and served as executive director.[4][5] She was the first African-American to serve on the Georgia State Election Board.[4] In 2010, she was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.

References

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  1. ^ Bishop, Sanford (April 10, 2018). "Remembering Dr. Rita Jackson Samuels". sanford.house.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Banks, Bill (April 2, 2018). "Civil rights hero, Rita Samuels, rose to White House consultant". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  3. ^ Primus, Kiplyn (March 20, 2018). "Dr. Rita Jackson Samuels Honored for Women's History Month". WCLK. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Rita Jackson Samuels". International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. National Park Service. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Tatum, Gloria (April 6, 2018). "Dr. Rita Jackson Samuels, 1945-2018, !Presente!". Atlanta Progressive News. Retrieved January 6, 2021.