Virginia McLaurin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Virginia McLaurin
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McLaurin during her visit to the White House in 2016
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| Born | March 12, 1909 Cheraw, South Carolina, U.S.
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| Died | (aged 113 years, 247 days) Olney, Maryland, U.S.
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| Known for | Video of her dancing with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the White House in February 2016 |
| Children | 2 (1 deceased) |
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Virginia McLaurin (March 12, 1909 – November 14, 2022) was an amazing American woman known for her community work. She became famous when a video of her dancing with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House went viral. This happened on February 18, 2016, during Black History Month.
Virginia McLaurin was also known for living a very long life. She was believed to be over 100 years old. Her exact birth year was hard to confirm because official records for African Americans were sometimes missing or incorrect during the time she was born. This was due to unfair Jim Crow laws that created racial segregation.
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Virginia McLaurin's Early Life
Virginia McLaurin was born into a Black family in Cheraw, South Carolina. She said a midwife helped her be born, and her birthday was written in a family Bible. As a child, she worked on farms with her parents. She helped with tasks like shucking corn and picking cotton.
She grew up during the Jim Crow era, a time when racial segregation was common in the Southern United States. This meant Black people were treated unfairly and kept separate from white people. Virginia only went to school until the third grade.
Moving to Washington, D.C.
Virginia McLaurin got married when she was 13 years old. Later, she moved to New Jersey as part of the Great Migration. This was when many African Americans moved from the Southern U.S. to the North. After her husband passed away, she moved to Washington, D.C., in 1939. She wanted to be closer to her sister.
Around this time, she took care of a three-year-old boy. His father had remarried, and his new wife did not want to raise the child. Virginia formally adopted the boy when he was 14. During her career, she worked as a seamstress, helped families in their homes, and managed a laundry shop.
Virginia McLaurin: A Dedicated Volunteer
Virginia McLaurin was a dedicated community volunteer for many years. Starting in the early 1980s, she volunteered 40 hours a week at Roots Public Charter School. She did this through a program called AmeriCorps Seniors. In October 1994, she joined the United Planning Organization Foster Grandparent Program.
In 2013, she received a special award for her volunteer work. It was given to her by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. In 2014, a TV crew reported that her apartment had bed bugs. A local pest control company helped her by getting rid of the bugs and giving her a new bed for free.
Meeting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
Near the end of the Obama administration, Virginia McLaurin's friends suggested she meet the President. They told the White House about her many years of volunteering. In February 2016, the White House invited her to celebrate Black History Month.
When she met President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, she gave them hugs. Then, she started dancing with them! She later said she never thought she would live long enough to visit the White House. She also never imagined meeting a Black President and his Black wife while celebrating Black history. Soon after her visit, the video of her dancing went viral online. Local news outlets started calling her "D.C.'s favorite centenarian" and "Grandma Virginia."
On March 11, 2016, Virginia McLaurin received the President's Volunteer Service Award. This award recognized her more than 20 years of helping schoolchildren. On May 27, 2016, she attended a Washington Nationals baseball game. She was even given a special jersey with her name on it on the field.
Virginia McLaurin's Personal Life and Longevity
Virginia McLaurin had two children with her late husband. In 2016, her daughter was 83 years old, but her son had passed away. Despite this, she estimated she had about 50 living descendants. At least one of her grandchildren had a great-grandchild. This made Virginia a great-great-great-grandmother!
In 2016, Virginia McLaurin had some trouble getting a new photo ID. This was because it was difficult to get a copy of her birth certificate from South Carolina. The rules for getting these documents were complicated.
On March 12, 2019, Virginia McLaurin turned 110 years old. This made her a supercentenarian, someone who has lived for 110 years or more. She celebrated her birthdays from ages 106 to 109 with her favorite basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters.
Virginia McLaurin passed away at her home in Olney, Maryland, on November 14, 2022. She was believed to be 113 years old.
Images for kids
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McLaurin dancing with the Obamas
See also
In Spanish: Virginia McLaurin para niños
