Margaree Seawright Crosby, a Greenville, South Carolina, Civil Rights icon, passed away on Friday, Nov. 8. Dr. Crosby was 82 and the first African American woman to become a tenured professor at Clemson University’s College of Education.
Crosby became the first African American woman to receive a full professorship at Clemson’s College of Education during her later years; before that, she was an activist. Back in 1960, Crosby was one of The Greenville Eight, one of eight Black students who conducted a sit-in at a Greenville County Public Library to protest against segregation. They took a stand against the rampant segregation and public resource inequality by quietly sitting and reading books in the “white-only” library. Crosby and the seven other students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
The Greenville Eight’s sit-in was integral in the push to desegregate local public libraries later, and a federal lawsuit that stemmed from the incident finally led to the racial integration of Greenville’s libraries.
Crosby’s family told WYFF that she’s always been a fighter, and she’s a Parkinson’s disease fighter and a breast and ovarian cancer survivor. The South Carolina Commission of Women awarded Crosby the state’s Women of Achievement award for her work in education and activism.
She was also a Silver Star and Life Member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She made history as the first female member of the board of trustees at the Greenville Hospital System.
The Macedonia Baptist Church will handle her funeral services on Nov. 23.
Following the news of her passing, South Carolina Mayor Knox White released a statement honoring Crosby:
“Dr. Crosby made history as a young girl and part of the “Greenville 8″ who challenged segregation, then lived a long life of community service. Her legacy of service helped make Greenville a better place.”
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