Annie Brown Kennedy, first Black woman in North Carolina's legislature, has died

Annie Brown Kennedy, a trailblazing attorney, politician and civil rights leader in Winston-Salem, has died.

Kennedy broke through multiple barriers for Black women in North Carolina. She was one of the first to become a licensed attorney in the state, the first in the General Assembly and the first to serve as a presidential elector.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-12th) says Kennedy was a mentor to her.

"I cherished the opportunity to work with her," she says. "She took me aside when I first came to the State House, and was the only other Black woman there at the time. She helped guide me, and I admired her because she was a brilliant woman, a brilliant attorney, and the consummate stateswoman. She was always genuine, kind, and supportive. She wasn’t loud in her speaking, but always spoke with strength. She leaves a tremendous legacy, not only as a giant in Winston-Salem and North Carolina politics but also as the greatest mentor a new legislator could have. My prayers and thoughts are with her sons and her family."

Annie Brown Kennedy was a native of Atlanta. According to Kinfolk, a biography site for hidden figures, she met her husband Harold Kennedy Jr. while earning her law degree from Howard University. They relocated to Winston-Salem, and in the 1950s the couple began working together as lawyers. 

Eventually, their twins Harvey and Harold Kennedy III joined them. The firm Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy & Kennedy, LLP is still active.

Annie Kennedy served as a presidential elector during the 1976 campaign won by Jimmy Carter.

Former Gov. Jim Hunt appointed her to the legislature in 1979 to fill a vacancy. She ultimately served 13 years in the State House.