Skip to content
Black HistoryCollector
SearchSupport the collection

Biography · Politics

Odessa Shannon

1928–2020

United States

BIOGRAPHYPortrait not availableExplore the life, work and source references.
Visit the source record ↗

Biography

Odessa M. Shannon (July 4, 1928 – May 17, 2020) was an African-American human rights campaigner from Maryland. In 1982, she became the first black woman elected to a policymaking position in Montgomery County and later established the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame. In 2022, she was named to the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.

Explore Wikipedia contributors ↗

Sources & collection details

Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗

Black heritage reference ↗

Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Continue exploring Series 1

Civil Rights & Public Life →

Explore all Series 1 cards →

Keep exploring