Columbia Housing Salutes Black History - Mildred Weathers McDuffie

Columbia Housing is proud to celebrate Black History month by highlighting notable figures that impacted our organization and community.

Mildred Weathers McDuffie

1934 - 2022

Mildred Weathers McDuffie was born in 1934 in Wedgefield, South Carolina, to Charlie James and Ethel Mae Byrd Weathers. Mildred Weathers McDuffie attended Celia Dial Saxon Elementary School, which she later recalled as a largely positive experience. McDuffie graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1953 and enrolled at Allen University. By then, the family was living at Allen-Benedict Court. She majored in business and after graduating in 1957 took a clerical job at the Columbia Housing Authority. She ultimately left that position around 1960 for a teaching practicum at C.A. Johnson High School; McDuffie spent 34 years with the Richland One School district serving as an educator, parent consultant, and ombudsmen.

In 1994, McDuffie ran for Columbia City Council and then Richland County council, successfully winning a seat on Richland County Council. She retired from both Richland County Council and Richland One School District in 1998. She was then appointed a summary court judge in magistrate's court in 2001, where she served for six years. In later retirement, Judge McDuffie returned to education, working as a relationship specialist at her alma mater, Allen University.

A former resident of Allen Benedict Court, Mildred Weathers McDuffie was inducted into the Columbia Housing Wall of Fame in 1992 for her service to the community through teaching. McDuffie continued to be involved with parents and students who in public housing, stressing to them that "where they live or who they are has no bearing on their success."

Columbia Housing celebrates its 90th Anniversary in 2024. We currently serve over 16,000 individuals and families in the City of Columbia, Richland County, and the City of Cayce.