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Woman of the Century - Opal Lee
 

At 91 years of age, Mrs. Opal Lee has seen many things and been a part of several great movements. A former educator and guidance counselor by vocation, Mrs. Lee fulfills her greatest passions through being a community activist and servant volunteer. Always concerned about the human dignity of the individual, Opal has served on the board many organizations, served as the Board President of the Metroplex Food Bank, and she was a founding member of the non-profit Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity which was formed to assist the economically disadvantage find housing in Fort Worth. With Lenora Rolla, Mrs. Lee helped establish the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society dedicated to the preservation of Black history in Fort Worth. At 91 years of age, Mrs. Opal Lee continues to make sure Juneteenth is celebrated in Fort Worth like she has done for over 40 years. Last year she embarked on a walking campaign “Opal’s Walk 2 DC” to see President Obama to have Juneteenth marked as a National Day of Observance. 

Birdie Sadberry
(Contribution Civil Servant)

Birdie Sadberry is a retired officer of BNSF railway having served as Director, planning and administration in the Mechanical Engineering Department.   Mrs. Sadberry she has been active in such grass roots initiatives as YMCA board member, Jubilee Theatre Board president, World Workplace, National Society of Black Engineers mentor and featured speaker, Inroads mentor, Renaissance Cultural Center Board member, and a member of the Fort Worth (TX) chapter of the Links, Incorporated.  She partnered with the Renaissance Cultural Center to organize and sponsor “Technology Awareness Day”, which is a platform to inform and expose underserved youth to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.   She is married and has four adult sons.  

Jewell Kelly
(Contribution to Music)

Jewell Kelly is an award- winning teacher of the Fine Art of Music.  She is the mother of one daughter, and an inspirational teacher and friend to many.  Ms. Kelly has made an impact on the musical careers of several gifted artists, through her teachings and mentoring of music, such as Kirk Franklin, David Mann, Darryl Blair, just to name a few.  Her love for the music ministry has been the foundation on which she continues to build upon sharing her talent and giving back to her community at large through her musical gift.    

Cynthia Toliver
(Contribution to Religion/Gospel)

Cynthia Toliver is first of all a woman of God then a wife to Pastor R.A. Toliver, and a mother to her son.  By profession, Mrs. Toliver is a Nurse Manger at Texas Health Resources where she has worked for 33 years and recently graduated from Walden University last year with a Master’s Degree in Nursing Leadership and Management with a perfect 4.0 GPA. First Lady Toliver is a committed humanitarian whose dedication to serve humankind is evidenced in her outreach ministry to feed the homeless, visiting the sick and mentoring and encouraging others. A true virtuous woman who humbly serves the new Mount Carmel Baptist Church congregation, Mrs. Toliver strives to be an example of a woman who is yielded to God in every area of her life.

Freda Murray
(Contribution to the Field of Nursing)

Freda Murray has dedicated her life making a difference in the lives of others, through her nursing career.  She is married and has one daughter and one grandson.  Freda Murray’s nursing profession has spanned 45years, wearing many hats throughout her career.  Her most recent role is that of Family Nurse Practitioner, working with gifted Medical Oncologists, who specialize in the treatment of women and men with breast cancer, and  whose purpose is researching to find a cure for breast cancer.  Mrs. Murray is committed to sharing her knowledge and expertise within the community.