{"id":9015,"date":"2026-05-15T08:45:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=9015"},"modified":"2026-05-21T15:05:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T19:05:14","slug":"state-senate-honors-late-pef-member-and-civil-rights-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-44-no-5\/state-senate-honors-late-pef-member-and-civil-rights-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"State Senate honors late PEF member and civil rights leader"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"State Members of the extended Reid family, along with PEF leaders, pose for a photograph outside the New York State Senate on May 19, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"State
Charles Reynolds, Dorothy Reid’s son.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 21, 2026 —<\/em> At a press conference on May 19, friends and family members of the late Dorothy E. Reid gathered at the\u00a0State\u00a0Capitol in Albany to honor the\u00a0long time\u00a0PEF member and original plaintiff of Brown v. Board of Education. Reid passed away in September\u00a02025\u00a0at the age of 88.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PEF Vice President Bruce Giddings described Reid\u2019s bravery at age 14 as she\u00a0stood up for equal rights by going on strike as a student and becoming the plaintiff of Davis v. Prince Edward County School Board. That case and three others would later\u00a0form\u00a0the foundation\u00a0of\u00a0Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregation in U.S. public schools.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe helped change the course of educational history in this country,\u201d said VP Giddings. \u201cBut Dorothy Reid\u2019s commitment to service did not end there.\u00a0Time and again, throughout her 88 years, she answered the call to serve others. For 28 years, she dedicated herself to the people of New York State.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When she\u00a0moved from Virginia\u00a0to New York, Reid obtained her nursing degree from Brooklyn Community College and went on to work for the Office\u00a0of Mental Health\u2014then known as the Department of Mental Health Services\u2014as a safety officer, social worker, case manager, and program director at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"DorthyReid was an active PEF member and\u00a0a pillar\u00a0of her community.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that Dorothy Reid knew then, what we know now: That the fight for civil rights, for equal rights and the fight for labor rights was not going to end with that\u00a0Supreme Court decision,\u201d said PEF Region 9 Coordinator Gabriela Franklyn. \u201cSo,\u00a0she continued to advocate for civil rights. For education. For equal rights. And for workers, including her fellow PEF members.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Renee Reid is Dorothy Reid\u2019s daughter. She is\u00a0a\u00a0PEF\u00a0steward\u00a0who works as a parole officer for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. She\u00a0credits her\u00a0mother\u2019s example as one of the reasons she pursued public service.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charles Reynolds, Reid\u2019s son,\u00a0spoke for the family at the press\u00a0conference.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one stands against oppression without facing risk, intimidation, and retaliation. My grandparents stood firm and endured the consequences,\u201d said Reynolds, who described how difficult it was after\u00a0<\/span>Brown\u00a0<\/span><\/i>for many Black Americans to get educated.<\/span>\u00a0\u201cImagine parents forced to send their children to neighboring counties just to receive an education, or teachers losing their livelihoods\u2014though some bravely continued to teach in homes and churches.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reynolds closed the conference by honoring his aunts, Inez,\u00a0Bertha\u00a0and Jacqueline, who stood alongside\u00a0their sister\u00a0during the student strike in 1951, and throughout the trial.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the press conference, State Senator Robert Jackson invited Renee, Charles, and the rest of the family\u00a0into the Senate chamber to\u00a0witness\u00a0the introduction of a legislative\u00a0resolution honoring Dorothy E. Reid.\u00a0Senators<\/span>\u00a0Jamaal Bailey, Cordell Cleare, Leroy Comrie, Shelley\u00a0Mayer\u00a0and Lea Webb spoke on the floor in support of the resolution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It reads, in part:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWHEREAS,\u00a0her courageous stand at such\u00a0a young age\u00a0exemplified a profound commitment to justice and equality, inspiring generations and leaving an indelible mark on the fight for civil rights; and… WHEREAS, She was a source of unwavering love, wisdom, and strength, remembered as a guiding light, a steadfast advocate for justice, and a compassionate presence in the lives of her family, friends, and community; …\u00a0RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor the life and legacy of Dorothy E. Reid, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to civil rights and public service, and commemorating her role in the 72nd Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n