When Linda Dingle Gadson โ72 enrolled at the College in 1969, she wasnโt thinking about the legacy she would ultimately help create. She simply wanted to nudge the world in the right direction and earn her college degree.โฏย
Without question, though, as one of the first African Americanโฏfemale graduates of the College, Gadson, a native of Hollywood, South Carolina,โฏis a trailblazer. Helping open the door to students of color was a pioneering step that continues to make a difference. โฏย
So, when it came time for her granddaughter, Qynn Woodberry-Gadson, to enroll in college, it seemed like the choice would be obvious.
โI was so ready to leave home,โ laughsโฏWoodberry-Gadson, who grew up not far from her grandmother, whom she affectionately calls โGramzy.โ
She looked at two other South Carolina universities in addition to CofC. But when her father, Shaytee, posted a photo on social media of Woodberry-Gadson with the cougar statue in Cougar Mall, it quickly caught the eye of Valerie Frazier โ91 (M.P.A. โ94). As director of the Collegeโs 1967 Legacy Program, which pays tributeโฏto CofC African American trailblazers like Gadson byโฏproviding academic support to current African American students, Frazier was excited theโฏprogram could potentially support aโฏtrue legacy student.โฏ
โ[Linda] has been a supporter of the Legacy Program from Day One,โ says Frazier. โWhen we found out that Qynn was thinking about attending the College, we asked her to apply.โโฏย
Ultimately, it was the support of the 1967 LegacyโฏProgram, her family and the appeal of the Collegeโsโฏliberal arts education that led Woodberry-Gadson, who is majoring in dance, to choose CofC.โฏย
โI told her the only place she could go was the College of Charleston,โ says Gadson. โNow why is that? Itโs a great academic school; thereโs a lot of flexibility; and the dreams that she has could be realized at the College.โ
After graduating with a political science degree in 1972, Gadson went on to lead the nonprofit Rural Missions on Johns Island, South Carolina, for nearly 50 years. She also supported her community alongside her husband, Herbert, who served as the first African American mayor of Hollywood from 1989 to 2003.โฏย
Through a project in her First Year Experience class, Emerging Adulthood: The Age of Possibilities, Woodberry-Gadson delved deeper into her grandmotherโs legacy, interviewing her about life as a young African American woman 54 years ago. ย
โI learned so much,โ says the risingโฏsophomore, who hopes to see even more opportunities for African American students at the College.โฏย
โI like to get the word out that there is still work for us to do,โ she says, adding that sometimes sheโs the only student of color in her classes. โBeing a part of the 1967 Legacy Program, I see thereโs more of me on campus, and that is very liberating. It helps me feel like Iโm not alone.โโฏย
Says Frazier: โQynn is the quintessential Legacy Scholar: an engaging student leader who is immersed in community service and local Black history and keenly aware of her role as a legacy bearer.โ โฏย
For Gadson, itโs a full circle moment. โฏย
โItโs just heartwarming to think about where we have evolved from to where we are today,โ she says.ย
