WS Chronicle

In celebration of Black History Month, more than 100 residents came together last week to honor the life and legacy of two of Forsyth County’s finest, the late Maize S. Woodruff and late Walter Marshall.

During the celebration, held at Forsyth Technical Community College’s (FTCC) Maize S. Woodruff Center on Thursday, Feb. 22, relatives of Woodruff were on hand to witness dozens give thanks and show their appreciation.

After the keynote address and catered lunch, donations were collected for the Maize S. Woodruff Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is designed to give one FTCC student a $250 scholarship each semester. One requirement for the scholarship is to be active in the community. The fund was formed last year.

Last year’s recipient of the scholarship, Vernell Springs, who will graduate from FTCC in May, said Maize S. Woodruff Scholarship helped her purchase books, and helped her stay in school. She said, “This scholarship has tremendously helped me.”

In 1926 Woodruff became the first African-American to be elected to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, on which she served for 14 years. In 1997, when Woodruff died, she was known for standing up for those in need throughout the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community.

Marhsall, a native of Wadesboro, moved to Winston-Salem after finishing his education at Winston-Salem State University. Soon thereafter, he became a member and advocate for the local NAACP Chapter. After becoming chapter president in the 1980s, Marshall would go on to serve on both the county commissioners and school board.

While delivering the keynote address, the honorable Judge Denise Hartfield said Woodruff and Marshall left legacies that will live on forever. She said the first thing we learned from Woodruff and Marshall is that you don’t have to leave your home to make a difference.

Hartfield said, “It’s not about your ZIP code; it’s about what you’re getting in the framework of where you live, and we have to build up this community where Walter Marshall worked every day, where Maize Woodruff worked every day. We have to work in that same vineyard to make sure East Winston remains a beacon not just for North Carolina but for the United States of America.

“The legacy is not always about land, the legacy is not always about money. The legacy is about what you have given to somebody and how you have empowered somebody,” Hartfield said.

For more information on the scholarship fund visit www.foundation.forsyth.edu.