Gloria Sweet-Love
Member, National Board of Directors
Gloria Jean Sweet-Love has been President of the Tennessee State Conference NAACP since January 1996. Under her leadership, the TN State Conference has become a force to be reckoned with in the Civil Rights Advocacy and Policy arena.
During her tenure, she has established an Annual Legislative Day on the Hill and Race Relations Summit. She is currently establishing the first Excellence & Equity in Education (EXCEL) program for at-risk students.
Sweet-Love has concentrated on building capacity at the state conference level. She has chartered and reactivated branches, youth councils, and college chapters. She also opened the state conference headquarters in Jackson, Tennessee, and fulfills the duties of the State Executive Director along with her role as State President. The office is staffed by an office manager and a cadre of volunteers. She has done a tremendous job of recruiting, training, and empowering volunteers across the state to advocate for justice and equality.
She is a member of the National Board of Directors of the NAACP and currently serves as Chair of the Southeast Region V NAACP Leadership caucus.
Sweet-Love is a staunch advocate for Education, Civil Rights, and Social Justice. Her experience in the political arena as well as her work with Black/Brown Coalitions, Grassroots Organizations, and Labor Unions make her a formable force in the Civil Rights struggle.
Sweet-Love holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Tennessee State University and has done graduate study at the University of TN at Knoxville. She is a retired Systems Administrator for a Fortune 500 company and devotes full time to the work of the NAACP.
She has attained a number of first in her life including the first African American woman elected to the Haywood County School Board, first African American woman elected as president of the Tennessee School Board Association, and first African American woman to be appointed by the governor as a commission of the Peace Officers Standards & Training Commission.
She has received many distinguished awards including the coveted Sterling Award for Outstanding Leadership & Influence from the Business & Professional Women of TN; Outstanding Volunteer Ambassador from American Cancer Society; NAACP Kelly Miller Alexander Award, NAACP Benjamin Lawson Hooks Keeper of the Flame Award, and numerous others.
Sweet-Love is a faithful member of her church, where she serves in the Teaching Ministry and as the Superintendent of the Sunday School Department.
Sweet-Love and her family live in Brownsville, Tennessee.