Claretha McRae Whitfield was inspired by her parents to make a difference in the community.
Mrs. Whitfield was born July 4, 1949 to the late Robert and Teressa Dudley McRae in Dillon, S.C. Most of her life was spent in the confines of Dillon, S.C.
Mrs. Whitfield attended Maple Elementary School, Gordon High School, and graduated from the second integrated class of Dillon High School in 1967.
After graduating from high school, Mrs. Whitfield ventured to Stamford, CT for a couple of years. After enduring a couple of frosty winters in Connecticut, she found herself back in Dillon.
Upon returning to Dillon, Mrs. Whitfield found that although things were a little different, she was not satisfied with working the 3rd shift in a factory. Her next step was college.
Mrs. Whitfield went to Florence-Darlington Tech to complete a degree in Secretarial Science. This landed her a job at Dillon School District Two for the next 44 years–20 years at J. V. Martin Junior High School and 24 years at the Dillon District Two / Four Office.
In 1970, she married Famon Whitfield, Jr. from Anderson, S.C. The union is blessed with two sons, Famon, III and Keith; two wonderful daughters-in-law, Natalie and Stacey; and four grandchildren, Nilah, Famon, IV, Keith, Jr., and Kamille.
Mrs. Whitfield is a member of Manning Baptist Church where she serves as church secretary and work diligently in other church ministries as well.
She is a member and past-president of the Criterion Club, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, where she has held positions on the local, district and state level. She is also a member and holds the position of assistant secretary of the Dillon County Branch NAACP.
“What inspired me to try to make a difference was the pride I saw in my parents when they were allowed to VOTE for the first time. In 1965, they received their voter’s registration card. On voting day, they got up early and headed to the polls. Although sometimes someone would come around offering them a ride to the polls, they always refused, opting to drive themselves. Later in the day, they talked about who they met at the polls, who they voted for respectively and how happy they all were of their new experience,” said Mrs. Whitfield.
“I felt that pride and vowed to do everything in my power to see that all of the people that I knew would register to vote and exercise that right. I joined The Dillon County Branch NAACP. Famon (my husband) and I became a team to do what we could to champion these causes. Famon served as president of the Dillon Branch for over twenty (20) years and me as secretary,” said Mrs. Whitfield.
“Other memories of community service was during my formatives years when I, along with other neighborhood children attended the Criterion Recreation Center. The Criterion Center was a safe haven for the neighborhood children,” said Mrs. Whitfield.
“The Criterion Center was owned and manned by some local school teachers who took their weekends and summers to foster and take care of the children in Dillon. I admired the way that they took the time to not only give us a place to enjoy recreation but to help teach life skills,” said Mrs. Whitfield. “I feel that I have made a difference in the lives of others by working within the community, joining organizations, and participating in programs in the community, and being a member of a church and sharing in its services and activities. We have conducted voter registration drives and other community outreach information. In our quest for an enhanced life, we promote programs to help children with life skills, scholarships, trips outside of their environment and a safe haven to enjoy life beyond their front porch,” said Mrs. Whitfield.
“I offer a challenge to others to make a difference and impact other lives by becoming involved in the community, going to church, and being an example others want to emulate,” said Mrs. Whitfield.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH DIFFERENCE MAKER: Claretha Whitfield Was Inspired By Her Parents To Make A Difference
