Flonzie Brown-Wright, a native of rural Farmhaven, Mississippi, is the only daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Littie Brown, Sr. She and her brothers, Sydney and Frank Jr., who are deceased, grew up in Canton, MS. She attended both public and private schools of Farmhaven and Canton, Mississippi. Flonzie received a Fain Fellowship and attended Tougaloo College, where her concentration was Political Science, Pre-Law, and Black History. She graduated from the Institute of Politics at Millsaps College in Jackson and served the college as Vice-President of the Institute where she taught, "Grass-roots Organizing and Campaign Management."  She is the recipient of one honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters Tougaloo College in 2018 and a Special Presidential Honors Award from LeMoyne College of Syracuse, NY. 

 

Flonzie's employment and professional career has spread from the dusty roads of Mississippi to the White House as she interacted with many individuals of national prominence. She was inspired to become involved in the civil rights movement in 1963, just after the assassination of Medgar Evers. Her inspiration continues in a myriad of creative community initiatives across the country where she lectures and provides motivational opportunities to a cross section of audiences. She continues to be a much sought-after speaker. 

 

On November 5th, 1968, Flonzie was the first African American female elected to public office in a bi-racial Mississippi town. She celebrated the 50th anniversary of her historic election in 2018. The position of Election Commissioner in Canton, MS allowed her to correct many voting rights injustices throughout the state. 

 

She authored and published her first book, "Looking Back to Move Ahead", in 1994. In 1999, the book became a Best Seller for an Independent Author. This memoir chronicles her growing up years in a small rural Mississippi town and salutes the involvement of scores of unsung heroes and sheroes who were similarly involved in the civil rights movement in the 1960's and 1970's in Madison County and Jackson, Mississippi. Flonzie worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ambassador Andrew Young, Marian Wright Edelman, Constance Slaughter Harvey, Alice Walker, Judge Reuben Anderson and many other humanitarian activists, locally and nationally. 

 

Flonzie is the recipient of more than 400 national, state, church, and community service awards including the National FBI Citizens Award presented by former FBI Director James Comey in 2017 in Washington DC. She is a member of the National Association of Female Executives, NAACP, SCLC, NCNW, and Women for Progress, Inc., among other organizations. 

 

She is president and CEO of FBW & Associates, Inc., a marketing consulting firm and is the founder of the Flonzie B. Wright Scholarship Foundation, a foundation designed to encourage students to stay in school. This foundation has provided more than $45,000.00 in scholarship dollars and other enhancements to many students. 

 

Flonzie is featured in the documentary, "Standing on My Sisters' Shoulders."  This award-winning film honors African American and Caucasian women, who were involved in the Southern Civil Rights Movement, including Annie Devine, Unita Blackwell, and Joan Trumpauer Mulholland to name a few. They were honored for this work at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. She has been featured in Purpose Magazine, Tomorrow's South, "Black America Series, Madison County, MS", "The Sip" and has self produced two documentaries, "Standing Tall in Tough Times" and "Before I'll Be Your Slave."  She has been featured in many other publications and documentaries. Flonzie gave the Keynote Speech in Dayton, Ohio the night Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party's Presidential Nomination, August 2008. Most recently, Flonzie was featured on the cover of the January 2018 issue of the Metro Christian Magazine. 

 

Before relocating to Mississippi, Flonzie served the Miami University in Middletown, Ohio as Student Affairs Scholar in Residence where she co-wrote a new curriculum, "Black Issues in Higher Education."  Even though her travels have been extensive and her achievements many, she simply refers to herself as, "Just a Country Girl from Mississippi who loves the Lord and ALL people." 

 

She is a member of the New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson and is the mother of three children; Cynthia, Edward (deceased), and Darrell.