Joyce Finley Garrett (August 16, 1931 – September 27, 1997) was an American diplomat and Detroit city official. She was the first Black woman to serve as an American foreign service officer, when she became Vice-Consul at the United States consulate in Caracas in 1962. In the 1970s she was "Detroit's Unofficial First Lady"[1] during the tenure of Mayor Coleman Young.
Joyce Finley Garrett
Joyce Finley Garrett, from a 1962 publication of the US Department of State
Joyce Finley was born in Detroit, the daughter of Thomas A. Finley and Mary Elsie Fleming.[2] After her parents' divorce, she was raised in the home of an aunt and uncle in Cleveland.[3] She attended Smith College, where her education included a junior year abroad in Switzerland. She graduated from Smith in 1953.[4] She earned a master's degree in political science in 1966, at Wayne State University.[3]
Careeredit
Garrett worked for the Wayne County government for several years after college. She passed the Foreign Service examination in 1962, and was sent to Caracas, Venezuela as Vice Consul, the first Black woman to serve as an American foreign service officer.[5] She only stayed a year, then left the Foreign Service. She was assistant director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1967 to 1969, and director of the Wayne County Office of Human Relations from 1969 to 1974. She ran for Wayne County commissioner in 1967 and 1972. When her partner Coleman Young became mayor of Detroit in 1973, she became the city's unofficial first lady.[1][3] She was executive director of the Detroit Bicentennial Commission from 1974 to 1977,[6][7] and had other city jobs after she and Young ended their personal relationship.[8][9]
Personal lifeedit
Finley married Nathan Taylor Garrett in 1953, right after her college graduation. They had a daughter,[10] before they divorced in 1957. She had a twelve-year personal relationship with politician Coleman Young,[11][12] ending in 1980.[9] Joyce Finley Garrett died in 1997, aged 66 years, from complications of Behçet's disease.[13]
Referencesedit
^ abRobinson, Charlotte (1973-11-08). "She'll Serve as Detroit's Unofficial First Lady". Detroit Free Press. p. 43. Retrieved 2022-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Joyce Garrett's 50; the threads are new". Detroit Free Press. 1981-08-17. p. 56. Retrieved 2022-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcWatson, Susan (1975-09-14). "You are everything, Joyce Garrett, that grandmother never expected". Detroit Free Press. pp. 8–9, 10, 12, 13. Retrieved 2022-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
^"The American Negro in College, 1952-1953". The Crisis: 407. August–September 1953.
^"Joyce Garrett". Detroit Free Press. 1997-09-30. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
January 01, 1970
joyce, finley, garrett, august, 1931, september, 1997, american, diplomat, detroit, city, official, first, black, woman, serve, american, foreign, service, officer, when, became, vice, consul, united, states, consulate, caracas, 1962, 1970s, detroit, unofficia. Joyce Finley Garrett August 16 1931 September 27 1997 was an American diplomat and Detroit city official She was the first Black woman to serve as an American foreign service officer when she became Vice Consul at the United States consulate in Caracas in 1962 In the 1970s she was Detroit s Unofficial First Lady 1 during the tenure of Mayor Coleman Young Joyce Finley GarrettJoyce Finley Garrett from a 1962 publication of the US Department of StateBornAugust 16 1931Detroit MichiganDiedSeptember 27 1997 aged 66 Detroit MichiganOccupation s Diplomat city official Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 ReferencesEarly life and education editJoyce Finley was born in Detroit the daughter of Thomas A Finley and Mary Elsie Fleming 2 After her parents divorce she was raised in the home of an aunt and uncle in Cleveland 3 She attended Smith College where her education included a junior year abroad in Switzerland She graduated from Smith in 1953 4 She earned a master s degree in political science in 1966 at Wayne State University 3 Career editGarrett worked for the Wayne County government for several years after college She passed the Foreign Service examination in 1962 and was sent to Caracas Venezuela as Vice Consul the first Black woman to serve as an American foreign service officer 5 She only stayed a year then left the Foreign Service She was assistant director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1967 to 1969 and director of the Wayne County Office of Human Relations from 1969 to 1974 She ran for Wayne County commissioner in 1967 and 1972 When her partner Coleman Young became mayor of Detroit in 1973 she became the city s unofficial first lady 1 3 She was executive director of the Detroit Bicentennial Commission from 1974 to 1977 6 7 and had other city jobs after she and Young ended their personal relationship 8 9 Personal life editFinley married Nathan Taylor Garrett in 1953 right after her college graduation They had a daughter 10 before they divorced in 1957 She had a twelve year personal relationship with politician Coleman Young 11 12 ending in 1980 9 Joyce Finley Garrett died in 1997 aged 66 years from complications of Behcet s disease 13 References edit a b Robinson Charlotte 1973 11 08 She ll Serve as Detroit s Unofficial First Lady Detroit Free Press p 43 Retrieved 2022 02 05 via Newspapers com Joyce Garrett s 50 the threads are new Detroit Free Press 1981 08 17 p 56 Retrieved 2022 02 05 via Newspapers com a b c Watson Susan 1975 09 14 You are everything Joyce Garrett that grandmother never expected Detroit Free Press pp 8 9 10 12 13 Retrieved 2022 02 05 via Newspapers com The American Negro in College 1952 1953 The Crisis 407 August September 1953 Diplomatic Post Jet 14 May 3 1962 Longo Julie 2006 Remembering the Renaissance City Detroit s Bicentennial Homecoming Festival and Urban Redevelopment Michigan Historical Review 32 2 89 118 doi 10 1353 mhr 2006 0046 ISSN 0890 1686 JSTOR 20174170 S2CID 149590976 Black Woman to Head Detroit Bicentennial Jet 30 April 4 1974 People Jet 29 December 14 1978 a b Haithman Diane 1983 06 23 Joyce Garrett Going it Alone Detroit Free Press pp 1B 2B Retrieved 2022 02 05 via Newspapers com Owens Keith A 2017 06 21 The Deep Detroit roots of Shahida Mausi The Michigan Chronicle Retrieved 2022 02 05 Fall Comes Alive in Detroit with a Festive Bal Africain Jet 26 November 13 1975 Words of the Week Jet 40 October 16 1980 Joyce Garrett Detroit Free Press 1997 09 30 p 14 Retrieved 2022 02 05 via Newspapers com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joyce Finley Garrett amp oldid 1160248977, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
