Willie Mae Wright First African-American Female Elected Waterloo Council Member Willie Mae Wright was born and raised in Goodman, Mississippi. Mrs. Wright moved to Waterloo soon after graduating from Okalona Junior College in Mississippi. In 1960, she received a certification from Gates Business College, Waterloo. Several years after graduation from Gates, she got a job at John Deere. She experienced racial discrimination as her co-workers refused to train her for her position. Nonetheless, she remained at John Deere for 23 years. Mrs. Wright participated in local organizations such as Waterloo Women’s Civic Club, Community Development Board, Jesse Cosby Center, and League of Women Voters. She was also an auxiliary member of the Boys Scouts. She was the first African-American woman elected to the Waterloo City Council where she served for ten years. Home | Overview | Interview | Videos | Community | Leadership | Media | Education | Links | Organizations | History | About Us | Site Map | Blog | Forum | Research Created and Updated by Chen and Jackson July 20, 2011
