Tammy Stokes for Superior Court Judge
Off the Record is a weekly blog written by Tammy Stokes, candidate for Chatham County Superior Court Judge. Tammy loves serving the community from the bench, but her life experiences off the bench inform her work. In Off the Record we get a glimpse of her world as she shares personal thoughts, reflections, and memories about Savannah, her community and public service, and sometimes the law.
The smart, creative, and elegant Taqwaa Saleem created a wonderful collection of framed photographs of people who walked with me on my journey to Superior Court Judge this past year. Seeing these pictures all together prompted me to reflect on my life and career in …
This past year has been a lot of hard work, and a lot of fun, because of YOU! Thank you, thank you! I sincerely appreciate all the support you have given me! Family, old and new friends, schoolmates, past and present colleagues, church friends, and …
One of my favorite things to do is talk with young people. So often we dismiss their bubbly energy and carefree behavior as apathy, but I have found that when I take the time to listen and engage them in conversation we find common ground. …
On Tuesday, November 4, 1980, I sat in a dorm room in Creswell Hall on the University of Georgia campus with my Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters. Our eyes were glued to a sixteen-inch television screen watching the presidential election returns for President Jimmy Carter …
I was honored to be interviewed for the May issue of Resilient Magazine. Below is an excerpt from the publication. Aside from what is known about you or what you have shared, what makes you RESILIENT? My resilience is rooted in my deep belief in …
I was a very active high school student. I cheered, participated in clubs, was voted most popular and best all-around, and crowned homecoming queen. Looking back, I realize that it was my time running track under the leadership of track coaches Carl Middleton and Charlie …
I love spring. And I love that the word spring means to arise. To rise. To Issue forth. To come up or out of something into existence. As winter transitions to spring, I delight in the new growth of plants making their first appearances in …
I saw the news flash on my computer screen last Thursday, April 7: Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the next United States Supreme Court Justice. I could hear the glass ceiling breaking. I squealed with relief, pride, and happiness. I once read somewhere that …
Lewis R. Slaton, An Early Mentor In 1991 I was hired as an assistant district attorney in the Fulton County District under the leadership of District Attorney Lewis R. Slaton. Mr. Slaton served in this position for 31 years, from 1965 to 1996. He employed …
Answering Wanda Lloyd’s March 3, 2022, challenge to “speak the names of at least three [women] who are…sheroes in this community,” I broadcast the name Diana Harvey Johnson, the third of three local women I lift up in celebration of Women’s History Month. Diana Harvey …
Answering Savannah Morning News columnist Wanda Lloyd’s challenge to readers to “speak the names of at least three [women] who are…sheroes in this community,” I raise up the name of Gwendolyn P. Goodman (1936-2004). Gwendolyn Goodman was a three-term City of Savannah Alderwoman and the …
On March 3, 2022, Savannah Morning News columnist Wanda Lloyd challenged readers to “speak the names of at least three [women] who are…sheroes in this community.” Beginning with today’s blog post, and rounding out Women’s History month with the next two blogs, I will answer …
This week I wish to honor Savannah educator Susie King Taylor. Born into slavery on the Isle of Wight in Liberty County in 1848 as Susan Baker, young Susie lived with her grandmother Dolly Reed and two siblings in Savannah from around 1855 until the …
Moving into Women’s History Month, I’m pleased to highlight Savannah native and trailblazer Judge Phyllis Kravitch. When I returned home to Savannah in 1996 to open my downtown law practice, I had the honor of meeting Judge Kravitch at a local Savannah Bar Association event. …
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. Maya Angelou, from Still I Rise Marguerite Ann Johnson was famously known as Maya Angelou. She was a poet, memoirist, and civil …
