A newly unveiled portrait of Dr. Tommie F. Brown is displayed near the academy’s front entrance, where students, families and visitors will encounter the legacy of the educator, social worker, civil rights leader and former state representative. Photo courtesy of Dr. Brittany Fatoma.
Students and families gathered with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga representatives and community partners Thursday, Sept. 3, for an open house at Tommie F. Brown Academy that brought together a resource fair, a back-to-school celebration and a tribute to the school’s namesake.
The evening included a performance by the UTC Pep Band, popcorn from UTC’s College of Health, Education and Professional Studies (CHEPS), and the unveiling of a portrait of Dr. Tommie F. Brown, the educator, social worker, civil rights leader and former state representative who died earlier this year at age 91.
Brown Academy sits at 718 E. Eighth St. on UTC’s campus. The school is home to UTC’s Children’s Center and serves as a site for School of Education students completing residency hours.
Programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, counseling, school psychology, and health and human performance also provide opportunities for UTC involvement. The University also launched its Literacy First program at Brown Academy last year.
UTC Community School Coordinator Brittany Fatoma works directly with Brown Academy through the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education, which is housed in CHEPS. Fatoma said the open house gave families a chance to meet the people and organizations connected to the school while learning more about the woman whose name is above its door.
“Open House is the first official event that parents are invited to come into the building to see what’s happening in the school,” Fatoma said. “What better way to kick off parent engagement, parent participation and support in schools than honoring and educating families about Dr. Brown’s legacy?”
The program also included a resource fair, where families met representatives from organizations serving Chattanooga children and families. Participating organizations included CHEPS, the School of Education, the Hamilton County Health Department, Girls Inc., Chattanooga Public Library, Scouts of America, Pop-Up Project, Kingdom Tutoring, Citizens of Heaven, the Nehemiah Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters, McNabb Center and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Brown was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The unveiling of the portrait followed a reading of remarks prepared by UTC Special Collections Director Carolyn Runyon. Hamilton County School Board District 4 Representative Jackie Thomas read the remarks on Runyon’s behalf.
“Students, families, UTC faculty and staff, Tommie F. Brown Academy faculty and staff and community organizations gathered for the reading,” Fatoma said. “They were literally passing down the oral history of what was, and now we are creating what is to come.”
The portrait is displayed on the wall near the center of the academy’s front entrance, where students, families and visitors will see it as they enter the building.
Brown’s connection to UTC began in 1971, when she became the first person of color to receive a tenure-eligible faculty appointment at the University. She founded UTC’s Social Work program, advised the Black Student Association and helped build connections between the Chattanooga Branch of the NAACP and campus.
Before joining UTC, Brown rose through the ranks of the Tennessee Department of Public Welfare, organizing orientation and training for 15 counties. In 1970, the National Association of Social Workers named her National Social Worker of the Year.
Her public service extended beyond campus. In 1987, Brown was the lead plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Commissioners of Chattanooga, a lawsuit challenging the city’s at-large commission system. A federal judge ruled in 1989 that the system violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, helping pave the way for Chattanooga’s current City Council system.
Elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 1992, Brown served for 20 years as a state representative. In 1998, she called for an attorney general’s audit of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. The resulting investigation led to a class-action lawsuit over the state’s treatment of children.
In 2021, Brown donated her papers to UTC Special Collections. The collection, which includes original research, legislative records and personal papers, is available to researchers and documents her work in education, social work, civil rights and public service.
When Runyon asked Brown how she wanted to be remembered, Brown answered: “Yes, you can.”
Fatoma said she wanted students and families to see themselves as part of Brown’s legacy.
“I wanted parents and students to walk away knowing that they are part of something even bigger than them,” Fatoma said. “If you are here, that means you can dream something that someone else can look back and say, ‘Hey, I was a part of that.’”
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College of Health, Education and Professional Studies
Tommie F. Brown Academy open house photos courtesy of College of Health, Education and Professional Studies
