Sanford praises Urban League's economic freedom efforts

From left, Jim McClain, director of the S.C Dept. of probation , Parole and Pardon Services, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford and Greenville Urban League President Bill Whitney chat during the Urban League's annual meeting at the Greenville Hyatt Thursday night. Staff/Owen Riley Jr. e-mail this story

The state's new Republican governor addressed the Upstate's annual Equal Opportunity Day dinner. The League is the nation's oldest community-based movement to help blacks enter the nation's economic and social mainstream.

"The way this organization does it enhances the chances for success," Sanford said, referring to the group's traditionally low-key, business-oriented approach.

When millions of blacks left a Jim Crow South for supposedly better living and working conditions in Northern cities and found themselves still denied economic freedom, "the Urban League vowed to do something about it — and that makes you modern-day freedom fighters," he said.

Sanford praised the organization, locally headed by Greenville's William Whitney, for promoting achievement, good citizenship and perseverance.

Two Greenville high school seniors were awarded college scholarships, Joshua Hoke of Greer and Angel Brockman of Carolina Academy. Claire Winkler received the League's Volunteer of the Year Award and Lockheed-Martin won its Corporate Award.

Sanford has made a concerted effort to reach out to black voters and used the occasion to note that his is the first Republican administration in South Carolina to have three African-American Cabinet members.

"Will we get it perfect? Absolutely not," Sanford said. "But we're trying."

Marianne Martin said after Sanford's speech was "inspiring" and had resonated with her.

"I thought it gave a lot of credit to the Urban League for what it does for the community," said Martin, a homemaker."

Curtis Johnson, pastor of Valley Brook Baptist Church in Pelzer, said he appreciated Sanford's "expression of embracing of diversity. I think he did a good job. And, I think he was sincere." Among his first campaign stops after winning the GOP nomination last June was one of the state's oldest black churches, Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston.

Sanford would later invite the pastor, the Rev. Joe Darby, a key figure in opposing the presence of the Confederate flag on the Statehouse dome, to speak at his inauguration.

In successfully challenging Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges, Sanford actively campaigned among black voters.

Staff writer E. Richard Walton contributed to this report.

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Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.