Audio
Oral History Interview with Elijah McCants
Transcript
Oloye Adeyemon: Brown v. Board Oral History Collection, Set B, Clarendon County, South Carolina, school segregation - segregation interviews. Interview two, Superintendent Dr. McCants, conducted on July 11, 2001, in the superintendent’s office of Clarendon School District No. 1 in Summerton, South Carolina. Interviewee: Superintendent Dr. McCants. Interviewer: Oloye Adeyemon for the National Park Service. These interviews were made possible through the Brown v. Board Oral History Research Project funded for the summer of 2001 by the National Park Service, as part of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Oral History Project.
Dr. McCants, what is your full name?
Elijah McCants: Elijah S., as in Shahriar, McCants.
Oloye Adeyemon: How do you spell your middle name?
Elijah McCants: S-H-A-H-R-I-A-R.
Oloye Adeyemon: S-H-A—
Elijah McCants: H—
Oloye Adeyemon: H—
Elijah McCants: - R-I-A-R.
Oloye Adeyemon: - R-I-A-R.
Elijah McCants: Correct.
Oloye Adeyemon: And you’re a doctor?
Elijah McCants: Correct.
Oloye Adeyemon: And what is your birth date?
Elijah McCants: 9/12/44.
Oloye Adeyemon: Where you were born?
Elijah McCants: Sumter County.
Oloye Adeyemon: South Carolina?
Elijah McCants: South Carolina.
Oloye Adeyemon: That’s the border. That’s the county bordering this county.
Elijah McCants: Uh-huh. We’re just the next county. Uh, just go right through to the—
Oloye Adeyemon: To the north of [crosstalk 02:17]—
Elijah McCants: To—this is to the north, yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: And what is your current, um, position here? Superintendent?
Elijah McCants: Superintendent of Schools.
Oloye Adeyemon: And prior to this?
Elijah McCants: Prior to this, I was with the State Department of - of Education.
Oloye Adeyemon: Was that in Columbia?
Elijah McCants: In Columbia, South Carolina.
Oloye Adeyemon: How long have you been here?
Elijah McCants: I’ve been here two and a half years.
Oloye Adeyemon: Um, can I ask, uh, a little bit about your background and where you were born. You said you were born in Sumter, so—
Elijah McCants: Born in Sumter.
Oloye Adeyemon: Uh, who were you parents?
Elijah McCants: William and Isabelle Britton McCants.
Oloye Adeyemon: And they were from that area?
Elijah McCants: They were from Sumter as well.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm, so you have strong roots going back for—
Elijah McCants: They were much settled.
Oloye Adeyemon: In this area, settled a lot.
Elijah McCants: Yes, many generations.
Oloye Adeyemon: And what did they do for a living, your parents?
Elijah McCants: My father was a carpenter, so we had to fight to try to get a hand up. My mother was a hospital worker. She was one of the chefs there.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm. And you’ve been here, again, how long as the superintendent?
Elijah McCants: Two - two and a half years with—yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: The school district had gone through a lot of changes, and I guess some of them, uh, occurred prior to you coming.
Elijah McCants: Mm-hmm.
Oloye Adeyemon: But perhaps we can, um—we can talk a little bit about the history of the school district and what you’re doing now, what your plans are for the future.
Elijah McCants: Oh, sure.
Oloye Adeyemon: The, um, county, you know, was involved in the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board, and, um, I understand the Briggs v. Elliott case that led to—the Supreme Court, uh, saw the case, and it became part of the Brown v. Board Supreme Court decision, was the first to reach the Supreme Court. Um, at that time, the schools were strictly separate—segregated. Is that correct?
Elijah McCants: Yes, they were.
Oloye Adeyemon: Okay. What—can you tell me a little bit about this district at that time before the suit? Um, what—was it, at that time, Clarendon School District No. 1, and was Summerton High School, which was—once it’s built, uh—can you tell me a little bit about that?
Elijah McCants: Sure. Sure. In - in - in the South, there were many neighborhood school - school districts. Almost every little neighborhood had a district at that time prior to the Brown case. Um, but it was, um, it was very, very, very segregated, and it was seriously separate, but unequal; inadequate books, um, you know, mode of - of transportation, unless they were private providers, and, um, buildings and grounds so inferior.
And, uh, the support base was, um, just not there to bring in the village to grow the, uh—the kind of students that was needed to be extremely competitive, not just on the national scene, but on the—on the, uh, world scene as well. So they were tough times, but, uh, some of the tough people made it through, but too many dreams were lost and hopes, uh, died.
Oloye Adeyemon: You came from segregated schools, right?
Elijah McCants: I came from a segregated schools system in Sumter. Yes, that is correct.
Oloye Adeyemon: The district had—this particular district, how many high schools did that have?
Elijah McCants: They were—due to the fact that I don’t have all the data from the archives, uh, they were, um, accessing—
Oloye Adeyemon: Summerton was one of them.
Elijah McCants: Summerton was the White high school. There were several other high schools.
Oloye Adeyemon: In this county?
Elijah McCants: And to the fact that transportation was a major problem to get folks to and from, so every little neighborhood had its, um—had its comprehensive school system.
Oloye Adeyemon: Are they—is there anything you can tell me about the - the statistics for - for maybe the period today? Is there anything you could share in terms of what the enrollment has been in terms of Blacks and Whites here?
Elijah McCants: Sure. Sure. This—to, uh, understanding the history of this county, we’ve not, at an early time, developed all of our resources, one being industry. And so there has been a—there has been a decline in enrollment, uh, one being folks, parents had to go where the job market required for them to provide a living, and the other piece was, uh, no one wants to be a part of failing schools and negative and darkness and bleakness too. So as a result of us not developing all the citizenry and going after industries more and a better quality of life for families to raise their kids, so we lost—we lost enrollment as a result of that.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: But I’ll have you to know that we’re happy now that over the last, uh, few years, perhaps, um, five years or so, it has been stabilizing as a re—as a result of the vision that, um—that they - they have, uh, observed coming to fruition just right now.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm. The—when you came to, uh, the school district, had you—were aware of what was going on from the state level? Like were you exposed? What was it that, uh—were there, uh, efforts or plans that you can speak about that were from the state level as far as, uh, some developments of the system and achievements there?
Elijah McCants: Yes. Yeah, so there was a—there was a tremendous amount of technical assistance covering the State of South Carolina from the federal, from the state, um, and in order then not to, um—there were - were just numerous resources. But I, by choice, having lived next door, even when I was with the State Department of Education, was always interested, having a little appreciation for history.
Um, during the revolution, this was a thriving community. That’s because of its commerce and trade, and, you know, waterways were so vital to any economy and any development of a community, and because of the Santee River. And somehow we lost the vision. And, um, so I was daring enough to say that, um, I believe we can recapture the dream with a bold vision and tapping into resources, not just from the local level, not just from the state level, but from the national level as well.
And the leadership mirrors the direction the system goes. Each time I get a little bit discouraged, be it mills that’s needed, I come up with an alternative means, be it grant writing, et cetera. When I think of the associate justice of the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall, litigated in this community, when I think about Judge Matthew Perry litigated in this community, I’m on hallowed grounds. And I devote my energy, my effort, my resources, my networking ability, my collaboration to bring in the resources, whatever they may be, to grow a world class system.
Oloye Adeyemon: What were—what are some of the challenges that were faced when you arrived, and what are some the strategies in dealing with those challenges that you had?
Elijah McCants: Teachers, especially, were not interested in coming to this community because of inferior pay. And I’m a firm believer, in this wonderful capitalist society we live in, that you—that you get what you pay for. So my strategy was to equalize the pay to make it competitive, be it Sumter, be it Main, be it south of us over by the river for Orangeburg District No. 3, or Calhoun over the river. So I thought that it was necessary to, uh—to equal the pay. Um, I needed to bring a flavor and a figure of hope and dream and aspiration, so that effective piece to give people hope that we can be brought out of the dark dungeons of despair if we were—if we don’t accept defeatists.
And then we need to come up and utilize every resource, every talent. Every ability needs to come forth, and I am the chief cheerleader, and that’s what I’ve done. I have, um, by grant writing. I would suggest to you that I have—my staff has written more grants than any school district my size in South Carolina. I’m just not there with a handout. I think we can fix the problem. I realize that Clarendon County is a poor, relatively small and poor county, and we can’t overburden the taxpayers by adding additional bills, but we must be creative and innovative and ingenious in coming up with new means of funding to grow our class system.
I—the other one was divisiveness between race. We were—when I came, we were talking at instead of sitting at the table and talking with each other. And I have spent an inordinate amount of time in all communities, with a special emphasis on the White community, so, together, we can be the best that we can be. It doesn’t matter the size. It doesn’t matter the wealth in this community because we look at alternative means through grant writing, et cetera. But we need to—we need to—we need to stop the hemorrhaging through the fighting and respect the dignity and worth of all of us. And, uh—and the other is that I take—I take no—every kid, the future of every child in this community is valuable, and I don’t wish to lose one. With just multiple resources, we can win it.
Oloye Adeyemon: Were there problems with an eroding tax base?
Elijah McCants: There wasn’t, no.
Oloye Adeyemon: Has the school board and, you know, then, um, parent groups been able to, um, explore ways to develop the business infrastructures? Uh, are those interested in education talking with those that are interested in revitalizing the business environment?
Elijah McCants: Um, there was a tremendous amount of discussion with the industrial associations, with the chamber, um, the parent groups, the community leadership, um, with the NAACP, through downtown develop—economic development. It’s just a tremendous amount of discussion and exploring options in terms of, um, a little different twist. As I go back to what I said earlier, it’s the, um, old Abe Lincoln’s belief that a divided house against themself cannot stand, and this house has been divided. And we almost went to destruction as a result of the vi—of - of divisiveness.
And I think the key to economic development, with all the natural resources that his community has, the Santee River, the Lake Marion, undeveloped diamond fields of land nearing the—nearing the river and the waterfront. Um, and what I’m speaking of, some of the best land, as I’m speaking of diamond field—some of the best land in the state has yet to be developed. But folks—people are not coming to emptiness, to fighting, to destruction, um, to no planning, to no vision. And that precisely is what’s happening, and it’s been a tax drain. It has been a brain drain.
The best of our kids were leaving and going to other areas of the state eventually because there wasn’t—I can’t say that I’m the - the cure of all, but that it was just too much divisiveness, and not enough coming together and fixing what needs to be fixed for a better quality of life through every means, for family, for work, for quality education, et cetera.
Oloye Adeyemon: So the business community has been supportive and does recognize how important the educational piece is for them.
Elijah McCants: Yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: In terms of them having quality—
Elijah McCants: Workforce.
Oloye Adeyemon: - workforce.
Elijah McCants: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Oloye Adeyemon: How much support have they given independently of, you know, the tax money that would come from businesses and might go into education?
Elijah McCants: Sizeable, a sizeable piece of the tax dollars.
Oloye Adeyemon: Are there any special programs you’ve been doing in terms of educational goals?
Elijah McCants: Yes. There, um—there are. Um, we did a tremendous amount of, um—of expansion in college credits while we, uh—here in high school. Um, I just submitted a grant for Early - Early Head Start, meaning that just - just after prenatal, then we’ll meet them. We will meet the parents at the—at the hospital, if necessary, to start the foundational years. We have an Even Start Program for parents who may not have had the opportunity, who just got off—side—a little sidetracked, and did—and without the - the adequate skills to assist with the high standards that we have in place then in the home. We’re bringing them back into—back into the school system now—
Oloye Adeyemon: That’s good.
Elijah McCants: - parents and children as partners. We spend a lot of time on parenting skills.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: We—they come into the system, or we go into the home, um, and we, uh—the standards through accountability are much more stringent just now, and we provide college—we’ve expanded our college offering and the national board certification. So we have lots of, um—lots of activities going to, uh, enhance academic excellence here.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm. What is—what - what numbers of students are there in the system, approximately, at this time, approximately?
Elijah McCants: I would say, maybe, 1,270 or so.
Oloye Adeyemon: In the school district.
Elijah McCants: In the school district. Mm-hmm.
Oloye Adeyemon: How many White students are there?
Elijah McCants: About, um, five percent.
Oloye Adeyemon: ’Cause there was quite a, you know, flight to private schools at one time, right after the decision.
Elijah McCants: Right after, yeah.
Oloye Adeyemon: I understand that there was, uh, two stages in it, one where this freedom of choice—where a few Black parents enrolled their students, and it was something, I think, with the zoning, where they—if they passed a school, then they had to go to that school. And that’s still in effect today. Is that correct? It’s, um, like where you have—if you pass this—you had to go to whatever is school is closest to you?
Elijah McCants: The closest to you. Um, which is not really a problem in Clarendon, one, because we - we had one primary school. We had one middle, um, elementary and middle school—
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: - and one high school.
Oloye Adeyemon: What are the names of those schools?
Elijah McCants: The names is St. Paul Primary, and that’s pre-K through the - the third grade. And we have the elementary and middle, which is fourth through seventh. And, um—and the high school was 8 through 12.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm. What is the name of the high school?
Elijah McCants: Um, so, the middle—the elementary and middle is Scott’s Branch.
Oloye Adeyemon: Okay.
Elijah McCants: And, um, there was a river—I’m sorry—a stream that runs through Scott’s Branch and the high school, the Scott’s Branch High School.
Oloye Adeyemon: Okay. Which of those was the segregated Black school in previous times?
Elijah McCants: The Scott’s Branch.
Oloye Adeyemon: Okay, high school.
Elijah McCants: High school.
Oloye Adeyemon: It was the Scott’s Branch High School that was all Black in the segregated years?
Elijah McCants: All Black, yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: And this school was the Summerton—
Elijah McCants: Was Summerton.
Oloye Adeyemon: - high school, which during those years was [crosstalk 25:11]—
Elijah McCants: All White.
Oloye Adeyemon: And when the freedom of choice took place, some Black parents sent their children to, uh, Summerton, so it was a small number of Black students then with White students.
Elijah McCants: Yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: But during that period, since it was freedom of choice, Whites did not send their students to—
Elijah McCants: That’s right.
Oloye Adeyemon: - [crosstalk 25:31] school—
Elijah McCants: No.
Oloye Adeyemon: - with Black students. So, in a sense, it’s fair to say, since the zoning period was one where, um, Whites were able to find a way to put their children in private schools, where they wouldn’t have to Scott’s Branch, those that lived near it. So it’s safe to say then that throughout this entire period, Scott’s Branch High School was never fully integrated as a result of this desegregation because of the - the way that things went down.
Elijah McCants: Mm-hmm.
Oloye Adeyemon: The—I understand that, through your efforts and the efforts of others that, um, went on during these years as superintendents, that the buildings have been, um, revamp—renovated.
Elijah McCants: Yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: And I understand that you have, uh, one of the finest auditoriums in the county.
Elijah McCants: We do. That we do. We are very fortunate for that.
Oloye Adeyemon: How many does it seat?
Elijah McCants: It seats 510.
Oloye Adeyemon: Are there other things outstanding about the school district as a result of the efforts to, not just bring it up to par, but to make it something that would attract, as you said, people—
Elijah McCants: Yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: - that wouldn’t want to come to a place where it has, uh, a negative history?
Elijah McCants: Absolutely.
Oloye Adeyemon: Are there—are there other things that have been done that, you know, other incentives or such as the - the real renovating of schools and the auditorium that you—are there other things that you feel are outstanding about the school district?
Elijah McCants: Sure, sure. I mean it’s if the, um—the Early Childhood Development Center just now is, uh—is an indication that I can provide, through the foundational years, a jumpstart early.
Oloye Adeyemon: At what year will children start there?
Elijah McCants: They will start at, um, zero if necessary.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm, and go to what age?
Elijah McCants: And go to first grade.
Oloye Adeyemon: And would this be half-day or all day?
Elijah McCants: They—there will be some half-day and some whole-day. Yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: So, it not only will help in your education, but would this—this would also be a help to parents that are trying to work then.
Elijah McCants: Very much so.
Oloye Adeyemon: So, how early will they be able to come, and how late will they be able to stay?
Elijah McCants: As of now, the school day ends approximately 2:30 for the primary school, so—but we just received—we just received a $1 million after-school 21st Century grant—
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: - that, um—that will, hopefully, have this—an extended day, I mean of, um, activity, to kind of lessen the load of parents having to rush here, even in the afternoon, hopefully, changing.
Oloye Adeyemon: So, how will this affect—there can ’cause sometimes be a very large daycare budget that parents have to spend. How would—how would this affect that? What - what would your—what would parents be charged?
Elijah McCants: We have not worked out all of the particulars just yet, but what I’m also—what I’m primarily trying to do is to—is to have this mainly funded through the federal government.
Oloye Adeyemon: So that would not only be an incentive for parents who wanted to get their children into an educational program early, but even some of those that might not have gone out of their way to do it would do it because of the opportunity to free themselves up to work.
Elijah McCants: Absolutely. Accessibility, visibility, and we feel as if—that this—with all parents. The ones who did not take a look at this district early on will perhaps—being the only model in this district of such, this is what I’m hoping—
Oloye Adeyemon: So you’re a trendsetter—
Elijah McCants: Well, that’s true.
Oloye Adeyemon: - as far as the other districts.
Elijah McCants: Um, yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: Got it.
Elijah McCants: Well, there’s another district that are doing this with an early—
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: But they don’t have the zero piece.
Oloye Adeyemon: Right. Gotcha.
Elijah McCants: Yes. I think they start at - at, um, age four, I believe, but I’m going after the—from beginning at birth.
Oloye Adeyemon: The parents, uh—are there parents—there are parents, I’m sure, everywhere, who are concerned about their children’s education. But has there been, and is there still, any concerted effort by Black parents in this county to make this school system all it can be, uh, as a—as a kind of, uh—feeling a kind of responsibility to the people who worked so hard early on to bring about change for Blacks in this county as far as education’s concerned?
Do you find parents among those who are supportive, or just community people, among those who are supportive of schools that are a part of that interest or that commitment that is an ongoing process that goes all the way back to when the schools were segregated and there were those who were courageous enough to step forward, and - and - and because of that, they want the schools to be a success in a special way?
Elijah McCants: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Oloye Adeyemon: Do you find that to be the case?
Elijah McCants: There is a nucleus of parents who are genuinely willing to take the torch and take it as high as it needs to go. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough of them who are totally committed to—
Oloye Adeyemon: Would you say that the spark that was there in those years leading up to desegregation in schools has gotten weak because of people leaving or older people passing on, or is it that the younger people have not understood the legacy of what was given to—was given as far as for school?
Elijah McCants: I think—I think it’s a combination of not having marketed the sacrifice and the significance of - of such a case. I just don’t think it has been, um—that we’ve done that all that could’ve been done in the marketability of that. The other is, um, it has been too much of me versus us, and, um—and for those other groups, isolated groups working independently, rather than focusing on foraging all the groups to come together for the common cause.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: And that has not happened, and that is the key and the centerpiece of the problem of everybody coming together under a common goal and a common mission under one umbrella.
Oloye Adeyemon: Do you—would you—would you feel, by and large, that the students that are attending school today understand that legacy of Briggs v. Elliott and Brown v. Board? Have they heard of this, or they’ve heard of it, but they do they understand the place—do they understand that—do they understand—the students that are in school now, do they understand the relationship of things in schools?
Elijah McCants: They - they - they understand it. Um, much activity has been done, and I am still seriously committed to - to the [clears throat]—to the capture of - of - of history, as, um, are so many others in the community, but I don’t see the kind of passion—
Oloye Adeyemon: That once was there.
Elijah McCants: That’s correct.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm. Is there currently, or are there plans to implement any kind of educational curriculum in the schools here about the history of Briggs v. Elliott?
Elijah McCants: Yes, very much so.
Oloye Adeyemon: Is it currently being done, or is there a plan to—
Elijah McCants: It is. It is currently being done.
Oloye Adeyemon: So every child learns about it?
Elijah McCants: Yes, but I’m - I’m committed to taking it to—
Oloye Adeyemon: Even further, so—
Elijah McCants: - even further.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm. Are there events or other things that the schools are involved with in any way that are educating or reminding the general public about this history or commemorating, community events and things of that type that the schools have been involved with—
Elijah McCants: Yes.
Oloye Adeyemon: - on this issue?
Elijah McCants: Yes, they are. Yes, they are, district and community leadership.
Oloye Adeyemon: Even though you didn’t grow up here, uh, both because of the role you’re playing now in making the dream that those people back then had come true, and the fact that I think it’s safe to say that what happened in Summerton, uh, maybe, you know, didn’t directly impact you, but it impacted your family and others in Sum - Sumter—
Elijah McCants: Absolutely.
Oloye Adeyemon: - and other places. Uh, I think it’s, um, very appropriate to ask you, uh, what do you feel the impact of Summerton’s effort toward desegregating schools here that led to the segregation of schools nationwide, how did it impact your life, and what would you like to say to people about the importance of what occurred?
Elijah McCants: Mm-hmm. What - what a courageous act of courage by such determined petitioners who said, uh, “No longer,” to Plessy v. Ferguson, which was, um, according to the law, it was to be separate, but equal. And, uh—and it was totally the opposite, separate, but inequal. Which says to me that it’s not the size of the community, but it’s the bigness and the courageousness of the heart, that from little Summerton, South Carolina, rural citizens who said, “No longer am I gonna take infe - inferior education.” Which you provide the inferior education, and everything else is inferior as a result of—education is the driving force that permeates the social piece, the economic piece, and, uh—and the whole quality of life.
Oloye Adeyemon: Mm-hmm.
Elijah McCants: And, uh—and the leadership understood that then and understands that now. So, when I think of the sacrifice of - of little—this little community in Summerton was able to—was prepared, and they knew the impact and the fallout—
Oloye Adeyemon: Repercussions.
Elijah McCants: - and the repercussion of standing up and stepping up.
Oloye Adeyemon: In the South—especially in the South—
Elijah McCants: Absolutely.
Oloye Adeyemon: - at that time.
Elijah McCants: Absolutely, and—but that just, you know, those folks made a difference—
Oloye Adeyemon: Yes, they did.
Elijah McCants: - for me. They made a - a difference for America, and—
Oloye Adeyemon: How do you think they made a difference that every American can be indebted to them for?
Elijah McCants: ’Cause they changed the course of separate and inferior opportunity, and, um, they opened the door for equal access and opportunity through the equalization of education. I’ll be the first to say that there are—there are pockets of - of racism, and even yet today, but, uh—
Oloye Adeyemon: There’s so much to do.
Elijah McCants: When we think, well, it’s—so - so it’s a different world today, but when I think of the times that they stepped forward, I am eternally grateful to giving of my energy and time to making a difference to the kids here in Clarendon School District No. 1, for them steppin’ forward for me in Sumter, just next door. Clarendon 1 is just a satellite to Sumter, and so there was much growth in Sumter, and if we fix the problem here—
Oloye Adeyemon: [Crosstalk 40:16]
Elijah McCants: - of more quality of education, there would be a—there would be even more robust stuff—
Oloye Adeyemon: In Summerton.
Elijah McCants: - here in Summerton because of the natural boundaries and natural resources, um, that we have.
Oloye Adeyemon: So you’re committed, not just to the education of the community, but betterment of the community.
Elijah McCants: The holistic - holistically speaking, in every aspect.
Oloye Adeyemon: Thank you so much for you taking this time.
Elijah McCants: Yes, uh—
Oloye Adeyemon: I know how busy you are.
Elijah McCants: Sure.
Oloye Adeyemon: We appreciate it, and we, uh, have a much better understanding of what’s going on today in the Summerton School District. Thank you again.
Elijah McCants: And thank you so very much for what you do. Thank you again.
Oloye Adeyemon: Where we are—
Description
Elijah S. McCants was born on September 12, 1944, in Sumter County, South Carolina to parents William and Isabelle Britton McCants. His father was a carpenter, and his mother was a chef at a local hospital. At the time of the interview, McCants was superintendent of Clarendon County School District One. In late January 2002, he resigned from the position.
Credit
NPS
Date Created
07/11/2001
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