Civil Rights Activist Doris Crenshaw honored by the People’s Agenda

Montgomery, Al- Civil Rights Activist Doris Crenshaw was honored by the People’s Agenda as one of the unsung women of the civil rights movement.

In 1955, at the age of 12, Doris served as vice president of the NAACP Youth Council, when Mrs. Rosa Parks was an advisor to the Youth Council. After completing her degree at Clark College, she continued her community outreach in Chicago with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Open Housing Campaign.

Doris began her professional career as Southern Field Representative for the National Council of Negro Women organizing chapters, designing rural economic programs (credit unions, quilting bees, grocery stores, and big banks), and health and housing programs.

In 1977, Doris joined the Carter White House Domestic Policy staff for the Small and Minority Business Issue Division, then moved on to serve as Deputy Director for the 1980 South East Region Carter Presidential Campaign. In the early 1980s, she was Special Assistant to Rev. Jesse Jackson and also served as his Mobilization Director for his Special Projects. In this capacity, Mrs. Crenshaw worked extensively in Washington, DC, and nationwide with black businesses for the PUSH Trade Bureau. Doris then served as a consultant to Vice President Walter Mondale and was later named National Political Director for the ‘Mondale for President Campaign’ in 1983.

In 1985, Doris was asked by Mrs. Coretta Scott King to serve as Director of Mobilization for the First National holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The holiday was officially celebrated in January 1986. Doris was then asked by Mrs. Dorothy Height to serve as the Director of the Mobilization for the First National Black Family Reunion, which was attended by more than 600,000 people, and then served as Director of Mobilization of the Black Family Reunion in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Detroit.

In 2008, Doris Crenshaw founded the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute, SYLDI. SYLDI was created to address educational policy issues affecting our community.

"I am pleased to accept this honor from the People’s Agenda. The work of the Civil Rights movement is not over and it is time that we get back around the table to discuss the issues that are important to everyone," stated Doris during her acceptance of the award.

The People’s Agenda was founded in 1998 by Reverend Joseph Lowery, The Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda is an umbrella organization of human rights, civil rights, labor, women’s, youth, and peace and justice groups that advocate for voting rights protection, elimination of barriers to the ballot box, criminal justice reform, quality education, affordable housing, economic development and equal participation in the political process for Georgians of color and underrepresented communities.