Dr. Benjamin E. Mays: Teacher, Preacher, Mentor, Scholar, Author, Civil Rights Activist

Posted on February 24, 2019 by gwd_admin

In honor of Black History Month, the Greenwood County Democratic Party pays tribute to Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.

This portrait hangs at the Benjamin E Mays Historic Site, located in Greenwood. For more information about the site, you can go to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/benjaminemays/ ) or visit this website: https://discoversouthcarolina.com/products/3658

 

“Remembering Dr. Benjamin E. Mays’s Legacy”

by Marian Wright Edelman (Founder and President of Children’s Defense Fund)

“’It started here in a log cabin and a cotton patch. If it hadn’t been for Benjamin Mays, there probably wouldn’t have been a Martin Luther King.’ So said Ambassador Andrew Young as he spoke at the dedication of the Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site in Greenwood, South Carolina on April 26. Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, who was born in 1894 to former slaves, was an adviser to Presidents, mentor of mentors like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., lauded preacher and scholar, advocate for social justice, and the president of Morehouse College from 1940 to 1967. He was a remarkable man and role model for thousands of students who entered the doors of Morehouse, Spelman College, Atlanta University, Clark and Morris Brown Colleges, and the Interdenominational Theological Seminary, the schools that constituted the broader Atlanta University Center of Black higher education.”

To read more from this article: https://www.childrensdefense.org/child-watch-columns/health/2011/remembering-dr-benjamin-e-mayss-legacy/

 

 

He was a truly remarkable man from humble beginnings who accomplished greatness.

It is for this reason the Greenwood County Democratic Party honors Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.

Charles Lewis

GWCDP/ Chair

 

 

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Congratulations to Garrett McDaniel!

Posted on February 22, 2019 by gwd_admin

Congratulations to Garrett McDaniel on his dramatic win (92.04% of the vote) in the Democratic primary in the SC House District 14 special election! Mr. McDaniel has been serving as a Laurens County Councilman since 2015. Let’s get together and send him to Columbia to help him continue his service to our community! The general election will be held April 23, 2019.

To find out more about Mr. McDaniel:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McDanielforHouse14/

Instagram: @mcdanielforhouse14

“Garrett McDaniel Joins the House 14 Race” (Jan 5, 2019):  http://www.golaurens.com/news/mcdaniel-joins-the-house-district-race/article_0f38c528-1115-11e9-a5db-a77c9c25d55b.html

“Jones, McDaniel headed to April House District 14 Election” (Feb 20, 2019): http://www.indexjournal.com/news/jones-mcdaniel-headed-to-april-house-district-election/article_7bfdbaee-3908-5fce-8f42-f8d1a8ea8d47.html

Where he stands on the issues: https://votesmart.org/candidate/public-statements/164594/garrett-mcdaniel#.XHBKnOhKgdU

Where his opponent (Republican Stewart Jones) stands on the issues: https://votesmart.org/candidate/public-statements/164595/stewart-jones#.XHBNpehKgdU

 

 

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The special election primaries for District 14 are tomorrow (Tuesday, 2/19)!

Posted on February 18, 2019 by gwd_admin

What:  Special Election (Primary), SC House District 14 (Laurens                                       and part of Greenwood County)
Where: Your usual polling location
When: Polls open 7 AM – 7 PM

Greenwood County Precincts involved: Coronaca 016, Coronaca 017, Riley 031, Stonewood 034, Lower Lake 036, Rutherford Shoals 040 and Graham’s Glen 050

Map taken from Index-Journal online (www.indexjournal.com)

Both the Democratic and Republican primaries for SC House District 14 are being held this day. Polls are open 7-7, and you will vote at your usual voting location. The Democratic candidates are Bobbie Gregory, Sr. and Garrett McDaniel. To find your polling place, check your voter registration status, or to find out if you are eligible to vote in this election (check your SC House District #) go to:

https://info.scvotes.sc.gov/eng/voterinquiry/VoterInformationRequest.aspx?PageMode=VoterInfo

An article from the Index-Journal including comments from Bobby Gregory, Sr:
http://www.indexjournal.com/news/candidate-forum-lets-house-district-hopefuls-make-their-cases/article_33a0ed10-5c2d-592b-b45f-d0f1dc204a0c.html

An article about Garrett McDaniel:
http://www.golaurens.com/news/mcdaniel-joins-the-house-district-race/article_0f38c528-1115-11e9-a5db-a77c9c25d55b.html

An article from Sunday with info about the precincts involved (including the above map) and a paragraph about each of the candidates:
http://www.indexjournal.com/news/tuesday-sees-pair-of-primaries-in-district-race/article_df9fb359-8844-5e32-a09b-4c86ca7b63ec.html

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Make Every Vote Count – A Call to Action!

Posted on February 16, 2019 by gwd_admin
 

Please call or write SC State Senator Luke Rankin to ask for a subcommittee hearing for Senate bill 374: Help SC obtain a secure and accurate voting system!

 

Senator Luke Rankin:
Office phone:  (803) 202-6610
email address:  LukeRankin@scsenate.org
Mailing address:  101 Gressette Bldg, Columbia 29201

  • Ask him to please schedule a hearing for S. 374!
  • Bill S. 374, sponsored by Thomas Alexander, states that “all voting systems in South Carolina shall utilize a paper-based system using paper ballots tabulated by optical scanners as the ballot of record.”
  • We need to ensure that South Carolina obtains an election system that is secure and efficient at a reasonable cost.

Back Up Points:

  • The State Election Commission’s approach to choosing a new voting system has been secretive: it should be opened to public input and scrutiny.
  • If necessary, the existing RFP ( request for proposal) should be terminated; the integrity of our elections deserves public hearings.
  • The system of hand-marked paper ballots, optically scanned at the precinct, which S.374 supports, can’t be hacked, can be audited, will end long lines and waiting at the polls, and is half the price!
Some background info:

What do they mean by optical scanners?

This website has a great explanation of different types of voting machines and tabulation methods.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voting-equipment.aspx

SC is one of only 5 states that doesn’t use a paper ballot trail of some sort.

“Paper ballots – or, at least, auditable paper trails, in which voters can see their choices recorded on a printed roll of paper – have been recommended by experts from Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program to the Defending Digital Democracy Project at Harvard’s Belfer Center. ”

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/states-vote-paper-ballots-experts-change/story?id=57835958

Was your vote counted correctly in the last election?

“In the last election, some votes in South Carolina got counted twice. Others were credited to the wrong candidate.”
https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article224084080.html
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URGENT! Change in venue for this Saturday’s breakfast meeting!

Posted on January 28, 2019 by gwd_admin
Hello Greenwood Democrats,
 
As most of you know we have had some crowding issues with our regular monthly meetings at the Inn on the Square.
It was of particular concern to me with our upcoming meeting this Saturday because of the topics to be covered.Our special guests on the topic of Real ID and the introducing to you of one of the Democratic candidates for SC House Seat 14. I was concerned if we would be overcrowded. I checked with Tom at the Inn concerning the larger Dining Room and the cost was more than I felt we could come up with at this time.
 
After working with one of our most loyal members, Mrs. Barbara Jackson, we were able to secure a meeting place for the party at Lander University.
 
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ALL NOTIFY EVERYONE YOU KNOW OF THE CHANGE OF VENUE FOR SATURDAY’S MONTHLY MEETING, FEBRUARY 2ND, We WILL BE IN THE DINING ROOM (CAFETERIA) OF LANDER UNIVERSITY.
 
THE DAWSON ROOM IS JUST OF THE MAIN DINING ROOM , THE COST OF YOU MEAL WILL BE $7.17 FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO EAT.
PLEASE PAY AT THE REGISTER BEFORE ENTERING THE DINING HALL.
Charles Lewis
Chair
GWCDP
 
I am looking forward to seeing each of you on Saturday and I do sincerely hope you enjoy your new experience.
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