Biographical Sketch
Re: Women’s History Month Assembly/Benedict College
Tuesday, March 22, 2004
Dr. Marianna W. Davis is a professional educator who is now in her 49th year of service, having taught fifth grade as well as English at the high school, college, and university levels. As a college administrator, she was the FIRST woman to serve as Acting President of Denmark Technical College. She has always enjoyed being in educational circles, graduating from Wilkinson High School (valedictorian) in Orangeburg, from South Carolina State College (University) (B.A. in English), from New York University (M.A. in English). Always studying on scholarships, she received her doctorate in English and Linguistics from Boston University in a two-year period, as a Crusade Scholar.
As an active lecturer, she has appeared on the platform at more than 30 colleges and universities across America and in foreign countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, England, and Russia. At Harvard University, she was an instructor in The Great Migration Institute, and at Northeastern University in Boston, she taught high school English teachers in a three-year summer institute.
One of her most challenging experiences as a woman was serving as State Chair of the International Women's Year Conference (IWY) of more than 800 women here in Columbia and chairing the Delegation to the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas where she and Congresswoman Maxine Waters in California led the "fight" for Black women. The state and national conferences were funded by the U.S. Congress.
Her most cherished challenge came when she received a grant from the Women's Educational Equity Act Program (WEEAP) of the Federal Government to write 10 books on the contributions of Black women to America. Covering the years 1623 to 1977 and covering all 50 USA states, she completed the ten books in two years and now the books are sold out! Also among her 22 published books is Benedict's history book, The Enduring Dream, a 420-page, hard-back book that traces history from 1870 to 1995.
Understanding the importance of maintaining family legacy, especially for her grandchildren, as her family historian of eight generations, she is maintaining archival collections of her works at Benedict College, Boston University, and South Carolina State University.
Continuing her active life in educational circles, presently, she is Special Assistant to the President at Benedict College and the Editor of The Newsletter of The Division of Community Development.
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