The Nashville community is mourning the loss of Inez Crutchfield, a trailblazer for the Black community and women.
Crutchfield, a Civil Rights activist, died this week at 99.
Her children, Maribeth Crutchfield-White and Carlton Crutchfield, remember her with deep affection and respect.
“There’s a gazillion pictures of you as a baby coming along, and I think I found five. I can’t help it, Daddy went and got the Polaroid when I got here,” Carlton Crutchfield said with a smile.
Their mother raised them with strong values, rooted in hard work and service to others.
“You had to work hard, you had to be honest, and you had to be ready to help other people,” Maribeth said.
Though the public knew Inez Crutchfield as the first Black woman to represent Tennessee on the Democratic National Committee and the first Black woman to serve as president of the Democratic Women’s Club of Davidson County, she was simply “mom” to her children.
“She was there for every scout meeting, every dance recital, every PTA meeting,” Maribeth said.