Fellow Hamilton County Residents,
Missy Crutchfield has consistently demonstrated on the campaign trail this election season that she is a passionate, bold, and brave leader who will roll her sleeves up and work hard for the students, schools, teachers, and parents of Hamilton County School Board District 4.
What sets Missy apart is that she is someone who is fearless when it comes to fighting for what she believes in, standing up against injustices, and lifting up the oppressed. And she is not afraid to question and challenge the status quo so that progress can be made for all, not just some.
Missy and her family have a long history in politics, government, and education in Hamilton County and Chattanooga. Missy often shares the story of her father, former State Senator Ward Crutchfield, who brought the first African American man on the floor of the Tennessee State Legislature in the 1950s.
Ward Crutchfield was jeered at and threatened by his colleagues and even received death threats for making such a bold move, but he told them, "Get used to it. He'll be back again."
Well, that young man, named C.B. Robinson, did in fact come back again and years later he went on to serve in the Tennessee State Legislature where Ward's daughter, Missy, served as one of his interns.
The story came full-circle and the legacy of bold leadership continues today as Missy runs for Hamilton County School Board Member for the people of District 4.
There are few people who will work harder for a cause than Missy Crutchfield.
For years now I have had a bird's eye view of Missy's leadership as I have had the privilege of working with her as communications director when she was administrator of the city of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture and as we co-founded Be Magazine, a labor of love project that serves to inform, inspire, and empower changemakers, people who are making a difference in the world, and as we worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, the late Arun Gandhi, for many years in uplifting the message of nonviolence and supporting school and youth programs here in the United States and India and South Africa, and around the world.
Missy's passion and vision and determination are what drive her to wake up every morning thinking about the people of District 4 and spend long days, evening hours, and weekends working the District, meeting the people, and learning what she can do to help students, schools, teachers, and parents have a strong public education system.
We stand at a crossroads this election year—here in Hamilton County and the State of Tennessee and our country.
We need leaders who demonstrate the bold, brave, progressive leadership Missy has for years now, from serving as a vice president at Chattanooga State, assistant to the Chancellor at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and administrator of the city of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture, to working as an internationally-recognized activist for human rights, civil rights, animal rights, and climate justice, and now as candidate for Hamilton County School Board District 4.
Join me in supporting bold, brave, progressive leadership who works hard for a strong public education system for Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee—Elect Missy Crutchfield on Tuesday.
Melissa Turner