Unsung Hero:
Janet Goodman Former Covington councilwoman Janet Goodman was selected as one of three Visions 2022 Unsung Hero Award winners. Phillip B. Hubbard | The News
Former councilwoman has made lasting impact on Covington By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD
J
phubbard@covnews.com
anet Goodman is no stranger to Covington and its residents. Her active role in the local community is largely to thank for that. Throughout her life, Goodman has taken on various roles to help enrich her hometown. But, her motivation doesn’t come from fond memories growing up in the area. As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite. “I spoke at something they had for the city and people who made an impact,” Goodman said. “And I remember saying, ‘I didn’t want them to think that I ran for city council because Covington had been really good to me as a child, because it had not been.’ And I remember that.” Goodman recalled multiple occa-
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sions where she was discriminated against because of the color of her skin as well as her gender. That didn’t deter her from setting out to help make Covington a better place for future generations. As a high school student, Goodman worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She even attended a conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a student. During her days as a R.L. Cousins High School student, Goodman participated in protests and marches, too. When Goodman was growing up, local restaurants had not yet integrated. She helped lead the charge to get restaurant owners to integrate. “The joke always was, ‘anybody
who doesn’t want to eat, go with Janet.’ Because they knew they weren’t going to feed me,” Goodman recalled. In the 1970s, Goodman helped organize the Newton County Voters League, the Washington Street Community Center as well as the United Black Front. Goodman has also broken the status quo along the way, too. She was the first African American employee for The Covington News, where she served over the graphic arts department for 18 years. In 1978, Goodman was the first African American female to be voted onto the Covington City Council. Goodman also worked for the Newton County Board of Education for 31 years. In 2015, as her tenure on the city VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 63
