Former councilwoman JoAnn Watson dead at 72, remembered for her activism and leadership

Detroit mourns the passing of former councilwoman, advocate JoAnn Watson

Dr. JoAnn Watson is dead at 72 and leaves a legacy of fighting for Detroiters amid a long record of community service.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit is mourning the loss of a former city leader and advocate Dr. JoAnn Watson. The former city councilwoman served for 10 years and was a champion for Black Detroiters.

"JoAnn and I grew up together, we went to school together, she is my sister and we’ve been together since the 4th grade," said Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony.

A giant of Detroit activism, Anthony took time to reflect on another giant in leadership giant. Watson died Monday at age 72.

The pastor, radio personality, and first woman to head the Detroit chapter of the NAACP, is being remembered for her lifetime of community service.

"The community has lost a great spirit, a great fighter for freedom and justice and fairness," Anthony said. "Women have lost a great champion. Black folk and people of color have lost somebody who spoke truth to power, no matter who it was, where it was, what it was, or when it was. That’s JoAnn Watson."

One of her most tireless efforts was working on reparations for Black Detroiters. She was part of the city's first-ever task force meeting on reparations this past April.

"You know Dr. Watson for the last 40 years, talked about reparations for the city of Detroit, for Black folks from Black Bottom, and all the areas where Black people were removed from their homes in the name of urban renewal," said Adolph Mongo.

Dr. JoAnn Watson

Mongo ran Watson’s first campaign for City Council back in 2003.

"Nobody gave us a chance to beat Gil Hill. Gil Hill had 89 percent name recognition," he said. "We believed that we can win, and we won, because she was there out in the community and people gravitated towards her."

Watson also worked with the late Congressman John Conyers on a variety of issues at the federal level before her election to the council.

Her former colleague Monica Conyers shared some thoughts by phone.

"Her as well as with Kwame Kenyatta, Barbara Rose-Collins, Martha Reeves, Ken Cockrel, Sheila Cockrell, all of us including me, we did very good work on the City Council," Monica Conyers said. "And she served her constituency very well. I’m just saddened right now of her passing and the community will miss her."