TROY — Sherri Allgood made history when she was elected as the first female African-American mayor in Montgomery County. Now she wants to make history for the people of Troy.
Allgood defeated 19-term Mayor Roy Maness in November by a vote of 419-406. She had run on a platform of change, particularly to help the less advantaged.
“I ran as a write-in candidate in 2015 and received 117 votes to 238,” said Allgood. “That signified to me that the people of Troy were ready for change.”
When the municipal elections were moved to even years, beginning in 2018, Allgood decided to file to get her name on the ballot. She said some people said they didn’t want change and some told her she wasn’t ready to face a mayor who was completing 38 years.
But Allgood also found “lots of support from all races.” During her campaign, she told voters to “just give me the opportunity and you’ll find out I am you. My heart is for all the Town of Troy.
“I knew I had a chance, based on the write-ins (of 2015),” she said. “The vote was surprising, but I knew the town wanted change. I surprised a lot of people as an African-American female making history.”
A voice of change
Allgood, who will be 45 in January, is a retired educator but not retired from her career. After 18 years as a math and science teacher for the middle grades, she’s now a student advocate, representing those who need a voice.
Allgood, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Fayetteville State University, has a master’s degree in supervision and administration from Liberty University, where she is now working on her doctorate in educational leadership.
She and her husband, David, also are ministers at True Worship Ministry in Biscoe. They have four children and three grandchildren, all in the Troy area.
Activism has run strong in Allgood’s genes as her great-great-grandfather, Peter Greene, was a founder of the all-black Peabody Academy, which was established in 1880. Her grandfather, Dr. B.M. Harris, was a civil rights activist in Troy during the 1950s and 1960s. Her father, Jackie Harris, was one of the first to integrate Montgomery County Schools.
“I grew up here and my family roots are here. I was always taught to respect others, to show them the respect you want from them,” said Allgood.
In her student advocacy, Allgood was a voice in changing the rules concerning fees required in the county schools for technology equipment, specifically computers students could take home with them.
“The requirements were more than some families could handle,” she said. “If they didn’t pay the fees the students couldn’t participate in end-of-year activities, including graduation.”
Allgood said the fees could be from $300 to $500 with just a couple of weeks to pay before the end of the school year. She called that “unrealistic” for many families, noting that Troy has a 43 percent poverty rate and that 90 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunches.
Because of work by Allgood and others, the school system now has insurance on damaged computers, with…
