In this edition of Carolina Journal, produced in late December 1983, Kay Doran opens with the history of the SC State Senate, as an all-white body with no Blacks serving since Reconstruction.
There had been an outcry in recent years about Black South Carolinians not being represented in the Senate. This led to the Senate district lines being redrawn.
Before this new map was redrawn, however, the Rev. I. DeQuincey Newman was elected from a district that had a white majority. Alex Sanders had served in that district until he was elected the Chief Judge of the SC Court of Appeals.
Pete Poore reports on Senator Newman's district, which covers part of Richland, Chester and Fairfield Counties, and on Senator Newman's career.
This Senate seat was vacated by Alex Sanders to serve as Chief Justice of the South Carolina Appeals Court.
Senator Newman served as a minister and pastored churches all over the state, served as field director of the SC NAACP, and was the chief strategist for most civil rights activities in South Carolina, which led to public school desegregation, voting rights, the 1964 Civil Rights Act and implementation of the federal food stamp program. He became the first Black to hold a seat in the SC Senate in 95 years.
Kay Doran interviews the Senator, asking what significance it has that he won in a district with a white majority. Senator Newman responds that there is an indication that in Columbia, we now have a body of citizens who do not put a high priority on race, but would rather look at the qualifications when choosing public officials.
In downtown Columbia, ETV staff interviewed residents about the election of the first Black Senator in almost 100 years and received a variety of responses.
Back in the studio, Senator Newman discusses issues that will be taken up in the next legislative session. The governor's education package would require funding, and the governor has proposed a 1 percent sales tax for this purpose. Senator Newman brings up concerns about young men and women graduating from high school but failing to pass tests that indicate they are qualified for the job market. Senator Newman believes that South Carolina has not been funding education sufficiently for a long time. He believes that a majority of people support the education package and states that mail received indicates a 20 to 1 majority in favor.
Next, the discussion turns to the health of the aging population, and the Senator expresses his concerns about those who are alone and those who are poor. The discussion continues on the topic of people in rural areas who have recently experienced some improvement in the availability of running water, although there is much that is yet to be done. Next, the topic changes to that of hunger. Senator Newman states that families have to subsist on the minimum wage, and the cost of groceries, rent, and clothing exceeds their income. The elderly live on a fixed income, and there are those who are unemploiyed. The food stamp program is not sufficient to provide for a family through the end of the month, given the high cost of food.
Next, the topic is hospitals that are turning people away due to the lack of insurance. The hospitals cannot afford to pay for the care of indigents. Senator Newman states that a catastrophic health insurance plan must be put into effect.
Side Notes
I. DeQuincey Newman died July 31, 1985.
Kay Doran Foley Clamp died on May 19, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina.
