Juanita W. Goggins (May 11, 1934 – c. February 20, 2010) was the first African-American woman elected to the South Carolina legislature; in 1974 she gained a seat in the state House of Representatives.
[3] Born in rural Anderson County, South Carolina in 1934,[4] Juanita was one of ten children of sharecroppers.
Rock Hill was the site of civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s to end segregation in public facilities.
In 1972 she was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where she was the first black woman to represent the state of South Carolina.
[5]) As a nationally known, groundbreaking figure, Goggins was invited to the White House during the presidency of Jimmy Carter.
[1] She also helped pass a 1977 law that provided for education funding in South Carolina; it was still in use at the time of her death.
The Associated Press wrote: "Her proposals to expand kindergarten and to reduce student-teacher ratios in the primary grades were adopted after she left politics in 1980, citing health issues.