August 2017 New History Winner
Nominated by the Atlanta Branch NAACP - Young Adult Division
Every year we recognize the same influential leaders of the past without truly appreciating those who are currently making a difference in the communities today. We honor Dr. Plowden for living a life of service and for being a blessing others inside the community.
MARTHA WARD PLOWDEN, Ph.D.
Dr. Martha Ward Plowden is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She is the third child born to the late Rev. and Mrs. Isiah Paul Ward, Sr. She is a member of the Christian Fellowship Baptist Church., where she serves as a member of the finance committee.
Dr. Plowden is a product of the Atlanta Public Schools. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Clark College, Masters Degree in Library Service from Atlanta University, Specialist Degree in Library Science from Atlanta University, L-6 in Educational Administration from Georgia State University, and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Walden University.
Dr. Plowden is a retired media specialist from the Atlanta Public Schools, where she worked at Crawford W. Long Middle School for twenty-four of her thirty years with the system. From 1998 to her retirement she served as co-chair of the System wide Student Media Festival.
Also, Dr. Plowden worked at Southern Bell Telephone Company, where she was one of first black women hired in Atlanta, Georgia to integrate the company as a Telephone Operator (while still a student at Clark College). A year after graduation from college she was hired at Grady Memorial Hospital as a Dietary Supervisor. She worked as an adjunct professor at Clark Atlanta University and as a College Supervisor at Cambridge College.
Dr. Plowden has been an author for over twenty-five years. Her four books are: Famous Firsts of Black Women, Olympic Black Women , the NAACP: A Historical Perspective of the Georgia State Conference and Mrs. Draw's Homeroom Students. Also she has written and directed five plays: The Birthday of Georgia (Whitefoord Elementary), The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Crawford W. Long Middle School), Unsung African American Heroes (Christian Fellowship Baptist Church), "Look Where We've Come From" to capture the history of the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and CFBC ARK in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church.
Dr. Plowden has served on the Executive Committees of the following organizations: the Georgia State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Atlanta Branch NAACP, the Atlanta Urban League Guild (past president), and the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter. She was the first State Coordinator of the Academic, Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) Program for the Georgia State NAACP. Also, for over fifteen years she served as the chair of the Atlanta Branch NAACP's ACT-SO Program.
Dr. Plowden is a member of many organizations, to name a few: second vice president of the Atlanta Societa Docta, Inc., past secretary for the Atlanta Association of Educators, past president of the Atlanta Urban League Guild, a charter member of the retired Georgia Association of Educators, the National Association of Educators, the Atlanta Epicureans, a Life Member of the NAACP, a member of the steering committee for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), a former member of Jack and Jill, and a Golden Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Dr. Plowden is married to Nathaniel Plowden and they have one daughter, Natalie Plowden Tyler Martin (Clinton) and one granddaughter (Amia Camille).
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