Political Quotes

“Today I honor the groundbreaking service of a Livingston County woman who never even planned to live in the area, much less to make history there. Fortunately, life had its own plans for Elsie McPherson-Brown, and the community is so much better for it. Livingston County sits at the crossroads of several major highways, and when Elsie McPherson-Brown was driving one of them to go visit family and friends, she took a wrong turn and ended up in the northern community of Hartland, Michigan. Elsie liked what she saw on that unexpected outing. After further investigation, including meeting with the superintendent and school principals, she convinced her husband to relocate to Hartland from Detroit with their two elementary school-aged boys. It is worth noting that Livingston County was and is to this day an overwhelmingly White community, but Elsie and her family were undeterred. From the beginning of their time in Hartland, Elsie dove into community service, volunteering in her kids' classrooms, chairing teacher appreciation day events, and serving on the PTO. In 2003, Elsie took her service to a new and historic level when she successfully ran for the Board of Education of Hartland Consolidated Schools, becoming the first African-American woman and only the second African American in modern history to be elected to public office in Livingston County. Her story is not without challenges, particularly when it comes to race relations.…”