The S.C House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing and honoring four female African American Winthrop alumni for their courage as academic trailblazers during the beginning of racial integration in schools.
The resolution honored Winthrop alumni Cynthia Plair Roddey, Delores Johnson Hurt, Sue Frances Meriwether and Arnetta Gladden Mackey, all of whom were a part of the first generation of female African American students at Winthrop after the elimination of racial segregation. The resolutions were brought forth by S.C. Rep. Kambrell Garvin, alongside support from Winthrop alumni state representatives such as S.C. Rep. Gary Simrill, S.C. Rep. Chandra Dillard, S.C. Rep. Brandon Newton and S.C.
Rep. Chip Huggins.
Garvin presented the framed resolutions to the women and their family members alongside S.C. Rep. John King during a brief ceremony held on the Winthrop campus, according to Communications Coordinator Nicole Chisari.
“These ladies were courageous during the civil rights era in helping bring change and equity to all South Carolina citizens,” said Garvin. “They took advantage of the chance to further their education and made all of us proud in what they accomplished. Not only did they stand out in their fields, but also in the content of their character.”
Winthrop University Interim President George Hynd praised the four women as pioneers of diversity for the college’s academic program and history as a whole.
“Today’s diverse Winthrop student body looks incredibly different than it did in the 1960s and 1970s. Our students have these four women to thank who paved the way for other students of color to have the same opportunities of attaining a Winthrop education,” said Hynd.
Winthrop University celebrated the four women previously in 2014 with the establishment of the Roddey, Johnson, Gladden, and Meriwether Endowed Scholarship fund to honor the 50th anniversary of Winthrop’s racial integration. The scholarship currently sits at $33,000 and is intended to provide financial aid to state residents.
Roddey said that she was proud of the impact that she and other minority students of Winthrop have had on racial desegregation, purposeful or not.
“Only very recently have we begun to appreciate the significance of it. I didn’t realize that I was taking my life literally in my own hands, because there were people who were so opposed that they were blowing up houses and churches, people were losing their jobs, political reprisals. But because I’ve talked to some younger graduates who told me what a difference it made to have a choice to come to Winthrop,” said Roddey.
“It wasn’t a conscious, political statement. It was done for practical and economic reasons. But it’s had an enormous difference. And it has made an enormous impact on my life and provided me with economic security.”
Photo courtesy of Winthrop University
