(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic) released the following statement on the passing of Jersey City Councilwoman and educator Willie Flood:
“We join Jersey City in mourning the loss of longtime community servant, Willie Flood.
“A former educator, Flood was a game changer in her own right.
“She participated in the Montgomery bus boycott in the 1950s, and when she moved to Jersey City from Mobile, Alabama, she became one of the first non-white teachers to work in one of the newly integrated schools and served as the district’s desegregation coordinator until 1990.
“Her penchant for public service extended to public office, serving the residents of Jersey City on the city council for several years until her ailing health would not allow her to do it anymore.
“She was a mother and a dedicated public servant who will be remembered as much for her gentle demeanor, as her dedication and contributions to the people of Jersey City.
“On behalf of the New Jersey General Assembly, I send my condolences to Flood’s family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”