Cherry, Violet Daisy Naicker (1933-2014)

Violet Cherry was a social worker and political activist. At the age of 12, the South African government jailed her briefly for protesting the racist Apartheid laws that discriminated against her due to her Indian heritage. She began social work at 16. She had an arranged marriage but was later divorced and moved to the United States. Cherry completed her Master's in Social Work and Public Health from Columbia University. In 1974, the City of Englewood hired Cherry as the Director of the Health Department. In 1992 she was the Democratic municipal chairwoman. In 2006 however, she was suspended from the Health Department due to accusations that she was engaging in political activities using department resources. She later resigned in 2007. She had two sons, Lloyd Padayachi and David Jr.

Kremen, Maya. "Intriguing People: Violet Cherry." The Record, 11 Nov. 2007, p. A10.

Lueddeke, Kim. "Englewood mourns a 'warrior.'" The Record, 22 Aug. 2014, p. L-1, L-6.

1933-11-25

Durban, South Africa

2014-08-18

Kremen, Maya. "Intriguing People: Violet Cherry." The Record, 11 Nov. 2007, p. A10.