Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, a woman of many firsts, was born in Miami (1923). She taught in the Miami-Dade County (then Dade) Public Schools for 22 years and later became a pioneer for the State of Florida’s legal profession.

She earned an undergraduate degree from Florida Agricultural Mechanics University (FAMU), where she later retuned to complete her Juris Doctorate degree and serve as a professor at its law school.

She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1965.

The Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association (GSCBWLA), formerly the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division Dade County Chapter, was formed in 1985 with a mission to address the concerns of women lawyers as they relate to the social, economic, political and moral needs of the community.

The GSCBWLA currently represents over 350 men and women law students, lawyers and judges throughout the State of Florida.
“In its beginning, the Dade County Bar did not include blacks, and I don’t think it included women,” Marva Wiley, GSCBWLA’s immediate past president said.

“At the time our organization was founded, you could just about count the number of women practicing in Dade on one hand. They had to somewhat kick the doors in on their own, and that created a certain camaraderie and kind of friendship as they went through it together.”

Cherry was the first black woman law student to attend the University of Miami and the first black woman to practice law in Dade County. She was one of the first nine attorneys who initially served at Legal Services of Greater Miami in 1966.

In 1970, Cherry was elected as a state representative, becoming the first black woman to serve as a legislator for the State of Florida. While in the State House of Representative, she introduced legislation including the Equal Rights Amendment and the Martin Luther King, Jr. state holiday.She was elected to four terms and served until 1979.
The GSCBWLA offers a combination of programs, according to Wiley. “For starters, we offer mentorship programs, professional development seminars and legal clinics at battered women’s

“We also encourage Florida Bar participation as another mechanism to achieve recognition and to be considered a credible and outstanding lawyer in your field.

“Making the transition from Esquire to super lawyer is something we support,” she continued. “Women need to know that they can conceivably achieve some of the same successes enjoyed by our white male counterparts.”

Wiley said that over the years the GSCBWLA has created a great value in relationships.

“There is a certain identification and support that comes with Gwen Cherry that does not necessarily come so freely in other organizations. We’re all in it together and must work collectively to assure that our progress continues.”

In February 1979, Cherry died in a car accident in Tallahassee.
On June 5, 2008, the FAMU College of Law announced the dedication of the Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, Esquire Lecture Hall, which will be used for classrooms and practices for mock trial competitions.
Visit: http://www.bluestockingink.net

Cynthia Roby
Bluestocking Ink, Limited
President/CEO
cynthia@bluestockingink.net

Cynthia A Roby is president and CEO of Bluestocking Ink, Limited, a copywriting, editing and author services firm based in Fort Lauderdale.