"Ms. Anne Arundel County," the Honorable Christine Davenport Dies at Age 65

We Lost a Rare One in Ms. Christine Davenport

We lost a rare one this week in Christine Davenport. Few people in Anne Arundel County so gracefully embodied the true spirit of community service and devotion. Ms. Davenport’s legacy is vast and enduring.

She will be remembered as a beloved educator, a steadfast community advocate, a mentor to many, and a noble voice on the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee – routinely reminding even Democrats that they had more work to do to advance meaningful leadership that values the voices of its African American voters. They didn’t get a pass with Christine.

Yet, her greatest contribution may be in how she helped weave the social fabric of African American life in Anne Arundel County—creating spaces of cultural affirmation, refuge, and dignity. She was instrumental in establishing the Continental Societies, the Jack and Jill of America Arundel Bay Area Chapter, and National Coalition of 100 Black Women Anne Arundel County Chapter. She was a life-long member of the NAACP and a cherished member of the North County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Christine Davenport was Ms. Anne Arundel County—our own Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Rosa Parks, and Shirley Chisholm all in one.

She will be deeply missed, but her legacy will continue to inform and shape the lives of countless children and families for years to come. Everyone should know her name and value her many contributions to advance the well-being of our community.

Well done good and faithful servant!

May her memory and legacy be a blessing to her family and many friends.