By: Vareva Harris
The City of Woodruff paid tribute to the life and achievements of Evangelist Betty Watson for her decades of exemplary advocacy and ministry in the Cross Anchor and Woodruff communities and throughout the state. Mayor Kenneth Gist signed a proclamation, read by Rev. Derrick Scurry, the City Chaplin during the program on May 21. The proclamation honors her as one of the first black women to “work in the cotton mills in the City of Woodruff” and as an advocate for worker rights through unionized labor. Even after losing her sight to cataract surgery, and affectionately becoming known as “Blind Betty”, the proclamation states she “continued to use her talent to help others with all types of disabilities whether mental, physical, or social.” The proclamation concluded by acknowledging Evangelist Watson’s service to the community, state, and nation.
Evangelist Carolyn Alexander and Sister Catherine Floyd from New Prospect Baptist Church, where Evangelist Watson serves as associate pastor. Other participants in the program were Sister Cynthia Barton, Manager for the Home of the Mentally Handicapped, and Sister Chanel Roland, Daughter of Evangelist Betty Watson.
Rev. Dr. Romando James, professor emeritus at Clemson University, referred to Evangelist Watson as “the Rosa Parks of prison ministry” through Operation Common Sense P.R.I.D.E. Prison Ministry. He continued by saying, “the lady is a giant” as he shared stories about how Evangelist Watson was celebrated in Columbia by Resolution H. 4898 presented by the Honorable Gilda Cobb-Hunter in the South Carolina House of Representatives and signed by the Honorable James Lucas, Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, for her distinguished service throughout South Carolina and her impact on the nation. For all of the accolades bestowed upon Evangelist Betty Watson nationally, the citizens of Cross Anchor, Woodruff, and the state gathered in the celebration of Evangelist Betty Watson on May 21 in Woodruff, South Carolina.
Author: Tracy Sanders
