Ora Brown Snowden Of Annapolis Passes Away At 104 Years Old

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Longtime Annapolis resident Ora Brown Snowden has passed away at the age of 104. Born to John Brown and Daisy Pindell in 1916, Snowden was born during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson before women had the right to vote. She experienced two world wars, the Civil Rights Movement, the Great Depression and the political assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. King, Malcolm X and others.

Snowden lived to see the first African American man elected as president of the United States. She also was mom to Carl Snowden, civil rights activist and convener of the Caucus of African American leaders. Snowden and her husband William were blessed to welcome grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren into the world.

"I know that she was in the hospital last week, a situation made more difficult because family could not be by her side. I am so sad for all of the families who are not able to ease the burden of their loved ones as they transition," said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley in a news release. "She lived through incredible change in Annapolis, watching the whites-only hospital admit all women to safely give birth to their babies, seeing sit-ins at lunch counters turn into an integrated hospitality industry, but also seeing the results of 'urban renewal' and attendant societal upheaval."

When Carl Snowden honored his mother on her 100th birthday, he penned a touching tribute to her.

"Our mother is a strong woman of faith. Like Dr. King, she, too, saw a better America on the horizon and, like Dr. King, she never lost faith in her people or her nation," he wrote.