Judy MingsJudy Mings was a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, friend, guide, and an inspiration to all that had the good fortune of connecting with her. Judy was born on the east side of Buffalo, New York in a predominantly low to middle class, ethnically diverse and colorful neighborhood. She rejected conventional expectations of women in general at that time and set out on her own path. Judy studied Art at Buffalo University and spent time in Sienna Italy to study Art further. She returned to do her graduate work at Indiana University and then moved to San Francisco which became her permanent home and San Francisco embraced her. Judy took on many causes in her life time, including organizing one of the first multi-cultural institutes in the country, advocating for Affirmative Action, and teaching women’s studies in Greece, Turkey, and Kenya at the Aegean Women’s Studies Institute which she co-founded. She advocated for much needed elder care and traveled to Mexico and worked in a sewing factory during the summer to truly learn what women went through in these sweat shops. Through the Western Consortium for Public Health, Judy helped to create a research and education center integrating urban and public health planning to better our world. The Center became partner to the United Nations World Health Organization, the "Healthy Cities" movement. Almost solely, she organized the Healthy Cities Conference in San Francisco in which 1700 people from around the world attended. Judy was instrumental in founding the Commission on the Status of Women in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Judy developed her spirituality through her experiences with a myriad of spiritual traditions to include religions of the Far East, Native, Quaker, Jewish, the earth, and may others. She was an artist, insightful writer, and dancer of Isadora Duncan. Judy took on life with love, concern, integrity, zeal and a twinkle. Judith Ming’s journey was a triumph of creation in making our world a better place.
Honored by Gary Warhaftig |
