Fannie Birckhead | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Fannie Mae Ward February 28, 1935 |
| Died | February 9, 2022 (aged 86) |
| Education | Maryland State College; University of Maryland, College Park; Apex Beauty School of Cosmetology; Wor–Wic Community College |
| Occupation(s) | community organizer, politician, judge |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 3; including Janeen L. Birckhead |
Fannie Mae Ward Birckhead (née Ward; February 28, 1935 – February 9, 2022) was a U.S. community organizer, judge, and politician. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was a plaintiff who successfully challenged the discriminatory election systems of Snow Hill, Maryland and Worcester County, Maryland. In 1987, she became the first African-American town councillor in Snow Hill. In 1998, she became the first Black woman to serve as mayor on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. From 1998 to 2002, she served as a judge on the orphans' court of Worcester County, the first Black person to do so.