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TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE PORTION OF UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 78 IN ORANGEBURG COUNTY FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 21 IN THE TOWN OF BRANCHVILLE TO THE ORANGEBURG/DORCHESTER COUNTY LINE "BETTY HENDERSON HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THESE WORDS.
Whereas, born January 1, 1947, in Branchville, South Carolina, Mrs. Betty W. Henderson was the youngest of ten children of the late Nuncie and Sallie Williams. Educated in the public schools of Orangeburg County and New York City, she went on to complete International Association of Assessing Officials (IAOO) coursework at The Citadel and the University of South Carolina, with business courses at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College; and
Whereas, prior to retiring as a public servant in 2018, Mrs. Henderson spent twenty-eight years as a tax assessor of Orangeburg County. She became the first African-American female assessor in the State of South Carolina and the only African American to be inducted into the South Carolina Association of Assessing Officials Hall of Fame. She also served as the vice president of the Executive Board of Directors of the South Carolina Association of Assessing Officials; and
Whereas, Mrs. Henderson's life of service began with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 followed by the 1965 Voting Rights Act. She was instrumental in the founding and served as co-chair of the Orangeburg County-Wide Concerned Citizens organization, which worked to get African Americans registered to vote and encouraged them to seek elected office; and
Whereas, during the last twenty years, Mrs. Henderson has worked tirelessly as chair of the Orangeburg County Democratic Party, organizing its now annual Cook-Off, a major fundraiser where elected Democrats showcase their culinary skills. Under her leadership, voter participation became a priority. The party issued some four thousand tickets for South Carolinians to meet then Senator Barack Obama at Claflin University during his presidential bid to make history. She has attended five presidential inaugurations and had the pleasure of meeting and hosting candidates such as Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. A proud campaign manager for many Democratic candidates, she brags that those she supported "never lost". At the Orangeburg County Democratic Convention in 2018, she was lauded for her selfless work and unanimously named chair emerita; and
Whereas, the first African American since reconstruction to be elected to the Branchville Town Council, Mrs. Henderson served twelve years and ten years as Mayor Pro Tem. She is a founding member of the Orangeburg County Family Health Center, and serves on the Orangeburg-Calhoun-Allendale-Bamberg Adult Literacy Board, the Regional Medical Center Board, and Orangeburg County Department of Social Services Board, among others. She is a member of the NAACP, former queen of the National Order of the Eastern Star, and a current member of LaCharm Club; and
Whereas, a life committed to helping others has earned her numerous awards. Among them are Orangeburg County Council Outstanding and Innovative Leadership Award, the NAACP Appreciation Award for Community Service, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Woman of the Year, Denmark Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Community Service Award, South Carolina State University First Lady Scholarship for Unsung Heroes in Politics, and the Hickory Grove Baptist Church Award for Leadership and Outstanding Community Service; and
Whereas, a member of Canaan Baptist Church in Branchville, she chairs both the budget and hospitality committees. She is the proud mother of three loving and supportive children: Sheila, Ernest, and Kathy, and the proud grandmother of four; and
Whereas, it is fitting and proper that the South Carolina General Assembly pay tribute to Mrs. Betty W. Henderson's lifelong commitment to the advancement of the Palmetto State by naming a portion of highway in Orangeburg County in her honor. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That members of the General Assembly request the Department of Transportation name the portion of United States Highway 78 in Orangeburg County from its intersection with United States Highway 21 in the Town of Branchville to the Orangeburg/Dorchester County line "Betty Henderson Highway" and erect appropriate markers or signs along this portion of highway containing these words.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.
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