At 90 years old, Reverend John Lloyd Edwards was one of Chattanooga’s oldest and most active ministers, pastoring Cosmopolitan Community Church. He was born to The Late Reverend John Lloyd Edwards, Sr. and Mahala Edwards in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the second youngest of 12 children. Several communities in Oklahoma are named after the Edwards family, who were early pioneers in the state’s Black community.
He is the author of Ex-Slave Extra: The Mary Walker Story and is regarded as one of the region’s major proponents of literacy and Black History.
Mary Walker was born in 1848 in Union Springs, Alabama, and was enslaved until she was 15 years old when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863. She was married and had her first child by the age of 20. She had worked a variety of occupations by the time she was 68, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to earn funds for her church. Walker and her family then relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee, In 1917. by the age of 114, she had lost all three of her children as well as her husband.
She enlisted in the Chattanooga Area Literacy Movement (CALM) in 1963, where she was taught by Helen Kelly, A volunteer teacher. She learned to read, write, add, and subtract in a one-hour lesson two times a week for more than a year, According to WRCB-TV.
Walker received A number of medals and accolades for her endurance and determination, including the Key to Chattanooga. She was also designated Chattanooga’s Ambassador of Goodwill twice and was certified as the Nation’s Oldest Student by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In addition, she was honored by Two U.S. presidents, dignitaries from around the country and Canada, and even an aircraft flight in 1966. Following her death In 1969, the City of Chattanooga renamed her retirement home and built a memorial to honor her life.
CMG was founded in May 2021 by John L. Edwards III and Lurone “Coach” Jennings, Sr. This media company was established for the purpose of expanding the reach of Chattanooga News Chronicle and also to rebrand and energize our readership with a new outreach strategy.
The Chattanooga News Chronicle was founded in 1989 by John L. Edwards III, his wife, Faith, and his son, Adrian. They saw a great need for the African American community to be highlighted and reported in a positive and encouraging manner.
The Edwards family has been a driving force behind justice and equality through the newspaper. They have earned much respect and awards for their accomplishments with the Chattanooga News Chronicle.
Reverend J. Lloyd Edwards who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King during the civil rights era helped transform Chattanooga in dealing with racial issues. The Chattanooga News Chronicle has played a major role in writing the stories and challenges that confronted racism and injustice.
By establishing the Chronicle Media Group, John L. Edwards and Lurone “Coach” Jennings see the opportunity to expand and have a greater impact in the community through the Chattanooga News Chronicle, WGOD103 iRadio, SmartTV, and social media.
May 26,2022 Mary Walker Foundation hosts Work-based Learning Literacy Camp Chattanooga Foundation fights poverty through literacy at Camp REACH CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Maximizing the time of
Network Transport officials unveil plan to increase diversity and inclusion Officials at Network Transport unveiled a plan to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion among its workforce during a
Mary Walker Foundation’s Reading Programs Open Doors To A Better Future It is no secret that reading is one of the most important skills to
© 2022 MARY WALKER FOUNDATION All rights reserved
WEBSITE DESIGN BY: Customer Loyalty agency
