Juanita Goggins facts for kids

Juanita W. Goggins (born May 11, 1934 – died around February 20, 2010) was a very important person in South Carolina history. She was the first African-American woman to be elected to the state's law-making group, called the legislature. She won her seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1974.

Juanita Goggins was re-elected and served for three terms. She left her position in 1980 due to health reasons. Her work helped make South Carolina a fairer place for everyone.

Growing Up and School

Juanita was born in 1934 in a country area of Anderson County, South Carolina. She was one of ten children in her family. Her parents were sharecroppers, which means they were farmers who shared their crops with the landowner.

Juanita was the only one of her siblings to earn a four-year college degree. She went to South Carolina State College, which is a special type of school called a historically black college. She also earned a master's degree there. After finishing school, she became a teacher in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Back then, schools were separated by race.

Family Life

Juanita married Horace W. Goggins, who was a dentist. They had one son together, named Horace W. Goggins, II.

Working for Change

Juanita Goggins cared a lot about education. This led her to become active in the civil rights movement and in politics. The civil rights movement was a big effort in the 1960s to end unfair treatment and segregation (separation of people by race) in public places. Rock Hill, where Juanita lived, was a place where many civil rights protests happened.

In 1972, Juanita was chosen to be a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. This was a big meeting where the Democratic Party chose its candidate for president. She was the first black woman to represent South Carolina at this important event.

That same year, she was asked to join the South Carolina State Advisory Committee. This committee worked with the United States Commission on Civil Rights, which helps protect people's rights. Juanita Goggins was even invited to the White House when Jimmy Carter was president. This shows how important and well-known she became.

Her Time in Politics

In 1974, Juanita Goggins ran for a seat in the state House of Representatives, representing Rock Hill. She won against a white man, which was a big achievement at the time. She was re-elected and served three terms in total.

During her time as a lawmaker, Juanita Goggins achieved many important things:

• She helped get money for sickle-cell anemia testing in health departments. This disease mostly affects African Americans, and health programs for them had not received enough money for many years.
• She also helped pass a law in 1977 that provided money for education in South Carolina. This law was still helping schools even when she passed away.
• She suggested ideas to expand kindergarten and have fewer students per teacher in early grades. These ideas were put into action after she left politics in 1980.

Her sister, Ilese Dixon, once said that Juanita was "lively and smart." She believed Juanita thought she "could fix the world."

Later Years and Legacy

After Juanita Goggins left the state legislature, she and her husband divorced. She moved to Columbia, South Carolina. There, she worked as a social worker for a while. She also started a non-profit service that offered tutoring to help students.

Juanita Goggins passed away in February 2010.

In 2009, a part of Highway 5 in Rock Hill, South Carolina was named in her honor. This shows how much she was respected and remembered for her contributions.