01-04-2025
Meet 2025 Remarkable Woman Winner Patt Gunn
SAVANNAH, Ga (WSAV) — WSAV is excited to announce Patt Gunn as our 2025 Remarkable Women Winner.
From the music of her Gullah Geechee heritage to her educational talks, to her dancing at the Tybee Wade Ins, to her Underground Tours of Savannah, for Patt Gunn it's all about being a positive force for making societal changes.
One of the most noted examples of that was all her hard work to change the name of a Savannah Square from an outspoken advocate of slavery, John. C. Calhoun, to someone who was born into slavery, Susie King Taylor.
'Say her name, Susie King Taylor, an enslaved young girl who came here at the age of seven and her grandmother was already here,' Gunn said. 'They befriended the abolitionist community who taught her how to read, write and count. She goes out and joins the Civil War and becomes the first African American nurse on the Union side in America. She learned how to read, write and count in the middle of anti-literacy laws. I think she's a shero. I think she's a better person than John C. Calhoun.'
On Feb. 10, 2023, the square was officially dedicated to Taylor and Gunn said it warmed her soul to see people from all walks of life, colors, ages and denominations in attendance.
'I said to myself, this is what Savannah looks like,' Gunn said.
For Gunn, she said it's not about finger pointing. It's about healing the pains of the past caused by slavery and segregation. She herself is a descendant of a freed slave.
'But I refuse to walk in anger. I have to walk in peace and love. And so, we got to heal, and I want to leave a legacy of telling people here are the tools to heal. And here's the best example, Taylor Square. Let's begin here' Gunn said.
To many in the Savannah area, Patt is affectionately known as 'Sistah Patt' to which she said, 'Makes me feel honored and beloved. You know, I look at everyone I meet, not as a stranger. And if I can befriend you, you become my sister friend or my brother friend. And I'm just so honored. I want everyone to know we're really just one village. We really are.'
Patt's mission to have Susie King Taylor's name and legacy honored is not over yet. She is currently working to have a statue of her erected in the center of Taylor Square.
WSAV would also like to thank finalists, Angela Brantley, Alicia Johnson, Courtney Hampson and Maggie Smith. You can read their stories by clicking on their names or clicking here.
WSAV and the station's parent company, Nexstar, celebrate Women's History Month each March by honoring 'Remarkable Women' both in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry as well as across the country.
The nationwide initiative, which started in 2019, honors the impact women have had on public policy, social progress, and quality of life in all 116 markets where Nexstar owns and operates television stations.
Based on nominations with universally selected criteria including community contributions, self-achievement, and family impact, each market selects five local women for consideration as that market's 'Remarkable Woman.' Each market's 'Remarkable Woman' receives a $1,000 contribution on their behalf to a non-profit of their choice.
You can take a look at this interactive map and check out the local winners from around the country!
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