Georgette Watson

Georgette Watson ( – August 29, 2008) was an American anti-drug activist.

Life and education Watson was born in Philadelphia. She later lived in New York, the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and Baltimore, Maryland. She had three children, who she raised as a single parent. In around 1980 she married James O'Connor. Watson, Reverend Bruce H. Wall, activist Ben Haith, and others began occupying empty apartments in places that experienced significant drug activity, including the Lenox Street Projects and Orchard Park in Roxbury, where they attempted to discourage drug dealing by engaging with the community, and to draw police and press attention. In 1983, Watson and Wall cofounded Drop-a-Dime, an anti-crime organization which operated a hotline through which tips were confidentially passed from citizens to Boston police and federal agencies. In a 1987 interview about a documentary about policing titled Street Cop, Watson said, "We have to look at what the police is really doing to our community. Are they helping? Or are they helping to destroy it?"

In 1991, Watson was appointed to lead the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs. While in the position, she focused on building crime prevention programs rather than focusing on enforcement. She led the group for five years, until she was fired after a state audit reportedly uncovered mismanagement and mishandling of finances. Watson allegedly used state funds to take a trip to Aruba with another staffer, and the audit also alleged that Watson and an assistant had used a shadow nonprofit to take a $3,000 payment . Watson countered that the Aruba trip was business-related, and alleged she had been fired due to racial discrimination. She subsequently filed a lawsuit against the state, but was unsuccessful. In 1990, Watson ran for a seat in the Massachusetts Senate. She narrowly lost the election to Bill Owens, by a margin of 400 votes out of 13,130 total ballots.

Other work After being fired from the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs, Watson moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Experiencing illnesses including breast cancer and kidney issues, she encountered difficulties using the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to attend dialysis appointments. After writing letters to the MTA about her experiences, she accepted a job with them improving accessibility for disabled people. She also became an adjunct professor at the Baltimore City Community College. Watson was one of the first people to receive a Points of Light award from President George H. W. Bush.