‘Columbia has lost a giant’: Longtime judge, educator Mildred Weathers McDuffie dies
Columbia has lost one of its brightest lights in the education, local government and legal communities.
Judge Mildred Weathers McDuffie, who worked in local public school systems for more than three decades, was a former member of Richland County Council and later worked as a summary court judge with the Richland County magistrate’s office, died Monday morning. She was 87.
McDuffie was long associated with the Richland 1 school district. A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, she had a 34-year career in Richland 1, first as an elementary school teacher and later as an assistant to the superintendent. She also was Richland 1’s first ombudsman.
She was inducted into the district’s hall of fame in 2020.
“Judge McDuffie was a fervent community advocate who was an inspiration and a mentor to many, including several local elected officials and community leaders,” the district said in a Monday statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during their time of mourning.”
McDuffie is among the handful of women who have been honored as part of the Columbia City of Women project, a collaborative effort between the South Carolina Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network and Historic Columbia that honors the significance of important women in the capital city’s history.
An Allen University alum, one of McDuffie’s roles with the local school district was to help with the process of desegregation in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
“In 1968, as Columbia’s public school system finally made an official plan to desegregate, McDuffie was one of just five teachers selected for a committee charged with facilitating communications between teachers and the central office,” notes Columbia City of Women’s biography of McDuffie.
In 1994, McDuffie ran for and won a seat on Richland County Council. She served one term, exiting the council and retiring from Richand 1 in 1998, per her City of Women bio. She was later appointed as a summary court judge in the magistrate’s office, where she served for six years.
McDuffie, long a member of Bethel AME Church, served on boards for the National Association of Commissions for Women, the Columbia Cooperative Ministry, the South Carolina Christian Action Council’s literary task force and the South Carolina Coalition for Alcohol Safety. She was a life member of the NAACP and a member of the National Judges Association.
Several years ago, Columbia City Council passed a resolution honoring McDuffie, and it renamed a section of King Street, between Millwood Avenue and Blossom Street, “Judge Mildred McDuffie Way.”
“Judge Mildred Weathers McDuffie was the epitome of a community servant and leader,” Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said in a statement. “We are saddened by the loss of this dynamic woman, but we are fortunate to live in a city that was blessed by her presence. Not only was she a trailblazer in education, she was also at the forefront of the civil rights movement, as well as a passionate advocate for neighborhoods and civil service.
“Her legacy will continue to live on and her contributions will continue to benefit future generations in our community. Columbia is a better city because of Judge Mildred Weathers McDuffie.”
Former longtime Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, the first Black woman elected to Columbia City Council, lamented McDuffie’s passing in a Monday post on social media. Devine sponsored the resolution that renamed the portion of King Street for McDuffie.
“Columbia has lost a giant today,” Devine said in a Twitter post that included a photo of her and McDuffie. “There would never have been a Councilwoman Devine without a Judge Mildred Weathers McDuffie. My heart is broken not just for me, but for this community. I will ALWAYS love you and cherish our time together.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 10:51 AM.
