For more than 30 years, Laura Norwood Davis has been committed to the children. Her compassion, integrity and intensity, has made her a beloved and respected figure, not only to the students within her community, but to her colleagues and associates throughout the state.
Davis was recently recognized for her efforts by being named school Board Member of the Year by the Mississippi School Board Association (MSBA). Davis said this award was a double honor for her, not just for the acknowledgment, but because she was the first recipient for this inaugural award.
“This was such an honor for me,” Davis said. “And it has been an honor serving. What I do is not about Laura Davis. It’s never been about me. It’s about the children, and making sure that they get an education and using the very best resources available for them. That’s what it’s all about.”
Davis was presented the 2009 award at the Lighthouse School Leader Awards luncheon, held in conjunction with the MSBA Fall Leadership Conference, in Jackson.
Davis, a retired educator, was nominated for the honor by her fellow board member, Rubye Miller.
The Mississippi School Board Association received 19 nominations from across the state for the Board Member of the Year award. And a selection committee, comprised of board members from each congressional district, examined the documentation for each nominee and determined that Davis deserved the award.
Officials with the MSBA, said the Board Member of the Year Award was initiated to honor a current school board member who has exhibited distinguished leadership during his or her tenure, as demonstrated by effective efforts in being an advocate for children, increasing student achievement, understanding school board governance, and involving the community in the children’s education.
Miller, who also serves on the Carroll County School Board with Davis, praised Davis’ persistence in seeking out all available resources on behalf of children.
“She uses one-on-one contact with families, churches, community events and activities to get the community involved,” Miller said. “She never misses an opportunity to pull parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, anyone…into the fold, often reminding them from the board room table that they have a responsibility to see to it that their children are well behaved, so that they can be educated.”
Both Miller and Davis are retired educators and have served on the Carroll County School Board for many years, with Davis serving as president. Through their initial and often opposed efforts, the children of Carroll County have gained numerous benefits including a music program, a new gym and a new band hall.
In the past, Davis has been recognized for being the first black female to serve on the Carroll County School Board, as well as the first black female to serve as president on that board. In her presidential capacity, Davis has repeatedly stood toe to toe against her more conservative male board members to fight for the rights of the children in Carroll County’s school district.
From the very beginning of her life, however, Davis knew that she wanted to make a difference in the world, but it was her father, the late Percy Norwood, that inspired her to teach.
“I attended Alcorn University,” Davis said. “And after I decided to stay in Mississippi, I knew that teaching was the most steady job I could get. And once I got into it, I loved it.”
Davis comes from a family of educators including her brothers Percy and James Norwood, and a sister, Alfreedia Flowers. Another brother, Willie Norwood, retired from the NBA.
Davis has one son, Anthony, and two grandchildren, Pierre and Amaya.
Still very much active in the educational system and other sorority, civic and religious pursuits, Davis also finds time to support worthwhile national endeavors. She has worked on the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, being privileged to attend the inaugurations of both presidents, in Washington, D.C.
“I was out there when Barack Obama put his hands on the bible,“ Davis said. “As cold as it was out there, I didn’t even feel the temperature. I was just that excited. The adrenaline that was running through my veins at that time was just indescribable. But the significance of that event reminds me that our children can do anything they want to do. They shouldn’t allow themselves to be labeled because of where they may come from. They need to have confidence in themselves and always be determined.”
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