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The Marengo County Commission honored a Demopolis business entrepreneur and a Civil Rights pioneer during its monthly meeting on last Tuesday, February 14.

Annye H. Braxton celebrated her 90th birthday on January 26 and Commissioner Fred Armstead, Jr presented her a resolution acknowledging her years of work in Marengo County and her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Braxton currently runs the Braxton Senior Care Center in Demopolis.

“The Commission found it fitting to make a resolution for Mrs. Braxton. A lot of people don’t live to ninety years old, and that is a blessing within itself,” said Armstead. “Mrs. Braxton has done a lot for this community as whole, not just Demopolis but around Marengo County and the surrounding areas.”

Braxton was born in Linden in 1933 and was the first African-American to be hired at the County Extension Office at Auburn University where she worked as a secretary. She also the first African-American to run for public office in Marengo County since the Reconstruction Era that followed the Civil War.

According the resolution, Braxton is a firm believer in equality and justice for the people. She has been invited to many national platforms such as the inauguration of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

“Mrs. Braxton has lived during the most eventful century in the nation’s history. She is a model and inspiration to those that know her,” said Armstead. “She had opened her home to historic Civil Rights leaders such as the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Ralph Abernathy, and Stokely Carmichael for organizational meetings.”

In January of 1995, Braxton and her late husband founded Braxton Senior Care in Demopolis. The facility is a care facility that was developed to present adult seniors with a positive and nurturing environment. Braxton Senior Care prides itself on its friendly and professional team that provides dedicated care to those left in their responsibility.

“Mrs. Braxton has demonstrated, in countless ways, her dedication to the welfare of others and has earned the respect and affection of people from all walks of life and all ages,” said Armstead. “The Commission offers our sincere congratulations and best wishes to Mrs. Braxton for many more happy days in the future and share with her family and friends.”

The Braxton Senior Care facility is located at 307 S. Cherry Avenue in Demopolis.