Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc imperdiet elit sed tellus vulputate condimentum. Sed semper elit a venenatis ultricies. Nam dictum est non tincidunt convallis. Vestibulum venenatis sem eu ligula venenatis lacinia. Fusce ac eros sagittis, varius felis molestie, porta ligula. Etiam vel nisl in dolor pellentesque placerat id vitae velit. Morbi pellentesque […]
Friday, June 16th & Saturday June 17th, 2023
Hanahan Amphitheater
3100 Mabeline Rd
North Charleston, SC 29410
Set up: 12 noon to 4pm
Please complete the following application.
Judge Arthur C. McFarland is a native of Charleston’s Eastside community. He is
the seventh of child of the late Thomasina Jenkins McFarland and Joe McFarland.
His mother encouraged all her children to become community activists like her
and his oldest brother Joe McFarland. He attended Immaculate Conception grade and high school. As a teenager, he participated in the 1963 civil rights sit-ins and demonstrations in Charleston and attended the March on Washington. In 1964, he was one of nine African American students to desegregate Bishop England High School. Upon graduation from Bishop England, he entered the University of Notre Dame where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government. At Notre Dame, he became the first president of the Afro-American Society. In 1973, he received his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation from Virginia, he worked as an Earl Warren Fellow with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York receiving training in civil rights litigation. In 1974, he opened his law practice in Charleston. He is admitted to practice before the State, Federal and U.S.
Supreme Courts. In 1976, Judge McFarland was appointed Associate Judge of the Charleston Municipal Court. In 1978, he was appointed Chief Municipal Judge and held that post until his retirement in 2009. During the past 46 years, he has been a practicing attorney in Charleston handling school desegregation and employment rights as well as heirs’ property and other civil cases.
In addition to his professional work, Judge McFarland has held positions in numerous local and national organizations. Judge McFarland is listed in the Who’s Who in Black America. He has been featured in the Congressional Record and Ebony and has been referenced in numerous articles and books. He has appeared on ABC’s Nightline, South Carolina ETV and numerous radio and television programs, locally and in other States. He has been a frequent speaker at churches, schools, legal and civic gatherings. He has received numerous awards and honors for his
community service, locally and nationally. In 2007, he was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame.
Judge McFarland is married to Dr. Elise Davis-McFarland. They have two children, Kira J. McFarland and William J. McFarland and two grandchildren, William J. McFarland, Jr. and Lara Elise McFarland. He is an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Check out the interview with Raising the Volume with Charleton Singleton here. (Here’s the link https://youtu.be/SFuLXperYGI )
Lonnie Hamilton (born 1927) was a musician, educator, and community leader. Notably, Hamilton was the first African American to serve on the Charleston County Council.
Lonnie Hamilton, III was born to Anna Hall Hamilton and Lonnie Hamilton, Jr. in Charleston, South Carolina. His musical career began in the 1940s as a student at Burke High School. During this time, he began playing the saxophone and was eventually invited to play with the Jenkins’ Orphanage Band. Before graduating high school, Hamilton traveled for two summers with this influential band.
Hamilton received a music scholarship to attend South Carolina State College in Orangeburg and continued to play the saxophone throughout his college career; after which he held the position of Band Instructor in Union, South Carolina, and then at Bonds-Wilson High School. He taught over 3,000 students during his 20 years as an educator. As a musician, Hamilton was a member of various bands, including Lonnie Hamilton the Diplomats, and appeared for performances on numerous occasions during the Lonnie Hamilton Show, at his nightclub Lonnie’s, and elsewhere.
In 1970, Hamilton became the first elected African American to serve on the Charleston County Council. He continued to serve in this position until his loss in 1994. He was twice elected to serve as Chairman of Charleston County Council, also making him the first African American to occupy the position.
In 1978, Hamilton was inducted to the Burke Hall of Fame. Other recognition includes the naming of the interchange of Interstate 26 and Interstate 526 in his honor. In 2003, former students of Bonds-Wilson High School joined together to form the charitable Lonnie Hamilton, III Foundation, which focuses on educational achievement.
Hamilton served on various committees and organizations, including Spoleto Festival, U.S.A, the American Cancer Association and the United Negro College Fund. Hamilton was also a member of the South Carolina Association of Counties (SCAC). In 1982 he became the first African American president of SCAC. He is a member of Cavalry Episcopal Church.
Hamilton has been married to Clarissa Hill Hamilton since 1956. They have one daughter, Kendra.
To read the full article from Avery Reserach Center for African American History & Culture Click here. (here’s the link https://avery.cofc.edu/archives/Hamilton_Lonnie.html )