Walter Marshall building dedicated
The Forsyth County Department of Social Services building is now officially The Walter Marshall Building.
Marshall was a county commissioner, former school board member and former local NAACP president who was a longtime member of the Social Services board. He passed away on Feb. 22, 2017. The exterior of the Social Services building now bears Marshall’s name and a plaque in his honor was unveiled inside the building during a ceremony on March 8.
“This building is the least we can do to honor his work in this community,” said Commissioner Fleming El-Amin.
Each of the county commissioners remembered their former colleague, who was often outspoken in championing what he believed in.
“He will call you out and that’s what leadership is,” said Everette Witherspoon.
County Commissioner Vice Chair Don Martin remembered a quieter time with Marshall, when he sat beside him on a five hour flight in which they discussed their upbringings.
“I had this really wonderful glimpse of what it was like to grow up as a young African-American male in the late ’50s and early ’60s and learned about his values and what that meant and what community meant to him and what he believed in,” said Martin.
Numerous community leaders also shared their thoughts, too. Dr. Carlton Eversley described Marshall as a “friend and comrade in the struggle.”
“When it came to bond referendums, he was looking out for our community,” said Eversley. “When it came to the education of our children, he was looking out for our community without apology, without equivocation.”
Marshall’s family also spoke. His widow, Paulette, recalled how he’d always give her a gift on their children’s birthdays and a dozen roses on her own birthday. His daughter, Krista, said her father always found time in his busy schedule to be there for her. His son, Malcolm, credited his accomplishments in life to the upbringing his father gave him and thanked everyone for keeping his memory alive.
“I means a lot to me, and means a lot to my family, that he is remembered,” said Malcolm Marshall.
