Naomi Brooks

Naomi Lewis Brooks (April 14, 1934 – May 21, 2020) was an American educator and non-profit leader, and the namesake of Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School.

Early life and education Naomi Ethel Lewis was born on April 14, 1934, in Alexandria, Virginia, the eldest of five children of James and Eunice Lewis. As a child, her family attended Oakland Baptist Church. She attended the Seminary School for Colored Children and later rode the city bus to Lyles-Crouch Elementary School and Parker-Gray High School.

Brooks received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Virginia State College (now Virginia State University) and later earned a Master's in Elementary Education from the college. Brooks and her family moved frequently because of her husband's military service. Throughout her adult life, Brooks held leadership roles with the Girl Scouts, United Way, and American Red Cross. When her husband was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, Brooks helped support and nurture over 500 military spouses in the Officers' Wives club and Non-Commissioned Officers' Wives group. Together, they had three children, including Leo A. Brooks Jr., Vincent K. Brooks, and Marquita Brooks.

She was a member of the International Literacy Association, American Association of University Women, the Kappa Delta Pi sorority, and a lifelong member of the Alfred Street Baptist Church.

Honors In 2019, shortly before her death, Brooks was selected to receive the "Dean's Cross" award from the Virginia Theological Seminary, a recognition of "outstanding leaders who embody their baptismal vows to strive for justice and peace among all people."

Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School in Alexandria City Public Schools is named after Brooks. The school was formerly named "Matthew Maury Elementary School" but was renamed in 2021.