Lucille Whipper

Lucille Simmons Whipper (June 6, 1928 - August 27, 2021) was an American Democratic Party politician who served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1986 to 1996.

Whipper is most well known for accomplishments in both education and politics.

In the educational field, Whipper worked at two high schools before landing a job at the College of Charleston.

Here, Whipper implemented an affirmative action program and played a major role in integrating the Avery Institute, a center dedicated to African American history, with the college.

In politics, Whipper was the first black woman to represent a Charleston County seat in the legislature.

She was also the first woman of color ever to be elected to the South Carolina General Assembly.

Lucille Whipper was born on June 6, 1928, in Charleston, South Carolina.

She was the daughter of Joseph Simmons and Sarah Washington, a couple who separated when Whipper was young.

Growing up, Whipper spent her time in North Charleston and in the Liberty Hill section of east Charleston.

Whipper attended high school at the Avery Institute, an all-black high school in Charleston, South Carolina.

Here, Whipper had an encounter with civil rights activism when her graduating class sought to desegregate the College of Charleston.

A large group of people in her class applied to the College of Charleston, but their efforts of desegregation were unsuccessful.

After becoming a private school, the college was able to stay segregated.

Although Whipper was denied (along with a large part of her graduating class) from the College of Charleston, she was accepted into Talladega College in Alabama.

Here, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and sociology.

Later, Whipper went to the University of Chicago, graduating in 1955 with a Masters of Arts degree in political science.

After graduating from Talladega College, Whipper went back to Charleston where she taught social studies at public schools.

Then, in 1955 (after graduating from the University of Chicago), Whipper returned to Charleston where she worked as the director of guidance services at two prominent all-black high schools: Burke High School and Bonds-Wilson High School.

In the late 1960s, Whipper and a few others jumped on the opportunity to start Operation Catch-Up, a program funded by a federal grant coming from Andrew Johnson's “War on Poverty.” Operation Catch-Up sought to tutor and mentor underserved high school students in the Charleston area.

As director of this county wide program, Whipper successfully placed many high school graduates into colleges and universities.

In 1972, Whipper landed a job at the College of Charleston as Director of the Office of Human Relations and Assistant to the President, making her the first African American to hold this position.

Serving under administrator Theodore Stern, Whipper led the way in developing the school's first affirmative action plan.

Whipper first entered politics in 1972 when she served as vice chairman of the Democratic Party Convention.

In 1975, Whipper took a leave of absence to focus her attention back to public schooling.

During this time, she worked on directing a multimillion-dollar federal project called the Elementary and Secondary School Aid Act (ESSA).

As director of ESSA, Whipper worked in collaboration with the Charleston County School District to develop school programs in the area.

After two years, Whipper returned to the College of Charleston where she continued her work as Director of the Office of Human Relations and Assistant to the President.

At the College of Charleston, she helped transform her old High School (the Avery Institute) into the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture.

With the support of a variety of members on the Charleston College Academic board and the president of the college, Theodore Stern, Whipper was able to organize the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture committee.

She was eventually elected to the school board of Charleston District 20, a position she held from 1978 to 1982.

Whipper eventually ended her career at the College of Charleston in 1981 when she retired.

In 1985, this committee created the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.

Whipper's work and dedication to the Avery Institute played a critical role in its preservation and integration with the College of Charleston.

Later, Whipper sought a position of greater public service, and in 1986, she became the first African American woman to be elected to a South Carolina seat in the House of Representatives.

Whipper was the first women of color to ever be elected to the South Carolina General Assembly, too.

Whipper was a democrat and represented seat 109, a working class district covering parts of the East Copper area, North Charleston, and the center of the Charleston peninsula.

She served for ten years where she had two major legislative contributions.

She sponsored one piece of legislature that made marital rape a crime, and another piece of legislature that allowed minorities and females to be hired more easily in the workplace.

In addition, Whipper fought for women to get insurance coverage for mammograms.

In 1992, Whipper was nominated for Speaker Pro Tempore (a top leadership post in the House), by Tim Rodgers in an attempt to send positive signals to the blacks.