Cynthia Graham Hurd Explained

Cynthia Graham Hurd
Birth Date:21 June 1960
Birth Place:Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Death Place:Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Death Cause:Gunshot wound
Occupation:Librarian
Awards:Congressional Black Caucus Phoenix Award

Cynthia Graham Hurd (June 21, 1960 – June 17, 2015) was a librarian and community leader in Charleston, South Carolina. She was killed in the Charleston church shooting at the age of 54.[1] After her death, the Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation was created, the St. Andrews Library branch of the Charleston County Public Library was renamed the Cynthia Graham Hurd St. Andrews Regional Library, and a mural was painted on the John L. Dart Branch Library in her honor. Annual honorary library events, an award, and several scholarship funds have been established in her name.

Biography

She was born in Charleston, South Carolina.[2] Melvin and Henrietta Graham were her parents[3] [4] and she was one of six children.[5] [6] As a child, she and her siblings were members of the Emmanuel AME church.[5] [6] She attended the Immaculate Conception School, James Simmons Elementary School and the High School of Charleston, and graduated from Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) in Atlanta[3] in 1982[7] with a degree in mathematics.[5] [6] She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.[8] [5] She returned to Charleston after her mother became ill to help care for her,[9] and began her career as a librarian in 1984.[5] Her father died in 1984, and her mother died in 1986. She completed her MLIS at the University of South Carolina[7] in 1989.[3]

She worked as a librarian in the Charleston, South Carolina library system for 31 years.[10] At the time of her death, she had been the manager at St. Andrews Regional Library[11] since 2011[7] and had previously worked as the branch manager of the John L. Dart Library in downtown Charleston, part of the Charleston County Public Libraries,[10] since 1990.[7] [12] She was also a part-time librarian at the Robert Scott Small Library and Addlestone Library at the College of Charleston since the 1990s.[3] [5] In addition to her library work, she served on the board of the Charleston County Housing Authority for over twenty years, and served on the board of the nonprofit Septima P. Clark Corp.[7] She was married to Steve Hurd, a U.S. Merchant Marine. She died 4 days before her 55th birthday.[6] [2] [5] Her siblings include Malcolm Graham and Melvin Graham.[9]

At her funeral, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) "said Hurd embodied South Carolina's motto, a Latin phrase that translates to: 'While I breathe, I hope,'" according to NBC News, when he stated, "Because of the life of Cynthia Graham Hurd and eight other great people, I have hope today, I have great hope that South Carolina is going to live out its motto in a way that none of us would have ever believed."[13] South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley stated, "I love the fact that she lived by the motto, 'Be kinder than necessary.' That's what I will take with me."[11] A resolution passed by the South Carolina General Assembly on April 28, 2016 resolved "That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, celebrate the life of Cynthia Graham Hurd, librarian, community servant-leader, devoted family member, respected colleague, and friend to the many citizens of Charleston whose lives she influenced in a lifetime of service."[3]

Legacy

In 2015, the Charleston County Public Library renamed its St. Andrews Library branch, which she managed, the Cynthia Graham Hurd St. Andrews Regional Library,[14] with local news reporting in 2020, "Those who visited the branches she worked at, and the staff who worked alongside her, say they’ll never forget her kindness."[15]

The Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation for Reading and Civic Engagement was established in 2015 to continue her legacy with literacy and reading programs.[16] [17] [18]

In 2016, the artist R. Robots painted a mural of books on the John L. Dart Branch Library in her honor, in addition to other events to honor her legacy.[19]

In 2020, the Charleston County Public Library created an anti-racism initiative designed to promote kindness by encouraging the use of #ThisIsForCynthia to share random acts of kindness,[15] [20] when its yearly in-person events to celebrate Hurd, including book drives, exhibits, and special programs[21] were not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22] The library also released a video tribute titled "Cynthia Graham Hurd, A Legacy Everlasting" on its social media.[20]

In 2021, Hurd was featured in The South Carolina African American History Calendar, designed by the South Carolina Department of Education and its partners to provide "educators, parents, and visitors a method of identifying African American role models for all youth and honoring notable African American achievers with ties to South Carolina."[23]

The College of Charleston has renamed its Colonial Scholarship for in-state students to the Cynthia Graham Hurd Memorial Scholarship. The Cynthia Graham Hurd Endowed Fellowship Fund was created in 2015 by the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information for individuals associated with the Charleston County Public Library System.[24] Science Springer Nature offers an annual Cynthia Graham Hurd Memorial Scholarship to librarians.[25] [26] In 2019, the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) created the Cynthia Graham Hurd Staff Award, "in recognition of a current staff member who has demonstrated to the public and community the same spirit, enthusiasm, dedication and commitment exhibited by Cynthia in carrying out the mission of CCPL."[27]

Hurd was posthumously awarded the Phoenix Award from the Congressional Black Caucus.[28]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Morrison . Aaron . Analysis: A race war evident long before the Capitol siege . 17 May 2021 . Associated Press . February 5, 2021.
  2. News: Brown . DeNeen L. . Relatives say Cynthia Graham Hurd, killed in Charleston church shooting, 'was not a victim' . 17 May 2021 . The Washington Post . June 20, 2015.
  3. Web site: H. 5289 . South Carolina General Assembly . 17 May 2021 . April 28, 2016.
  4. News: Perlmutt . David . Cynthia Hurd funeral delivers a message of hope and mark on history . 25 May 2021 . Charlotte Observer . June 27, 2015.
  5. Web site: Menchaca . Ron . Storybook Life: Remembering Cynthia Graham Hurd . The College Today . College of Charleston Magazine . 18 May 2021 . October 21, 2015.
  6. News: Morse . Dan . Mourners pack Charleston church to remember beloved librarian shot there . 18 May 2021 . The Washington Post . June 27, 2015.
  7. Web site: Cynthia Graham Hurd . The South Carolina African American History Calendar. 2021 . The South Carolina Department of Education . 17 May 2021.
  8. News: Goode . Jo-Carolyn . Cynthia Graham-Hurd Named As The Second Alpha Kappa Alpha Member Killed In Charleston Shooting . 17 May 2021 . Houston Style Magazine . June 18, 2015.
  9. News: Remembering the life and legacy of Cynthia Graham Hurd . 18 May 2021 . South Carolina Daily News . June 21, 2020.
  10. News: Shenfeld . Hilary . Terror in Charleston: Church Shooting Victim Cynthia Hurd Was 'Glue That Kind of Held Everyone Together' . 17 May 2021 . . June 19, 2015.
  11. News: Phillips . Patrick . Haley: 'Cynthia taught our state and country how to love' . 17 May 2021 . WCSC5 . July 11, 2015.
  12. News: Library Community Mourns Charleston Librarian Cynthia Hurd . 18 May 2021 . American Libraries . American Library Association . June 18, 2015.
  13. News: Chuck . Elizabeth . 'They Will Not Have Died in Vain': Funerals Held for Three Charleston Victims . 17 May 2021 . NBC News . June 27, 2015.
  14. News: Flood . Alison . Charleston library renamed in honour of church shootings victim . 17 May 2021 . The Guardian . June 26, 2015.
  15. News: The kindness of Cynthia Graham Hurd lives on five years after the Charleston Church Shooting . 17 May 2021 . NBC2 Charleston . June 18, 2020.
  16. News: Foundation established for cause close to Charleston shooting victim's heart . 17 May 2021 . USA Today . WCNC . June 26, 2015.
  17. News: Crump . Steve . Brother remembers five years after sister killed in shooting at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, S.C. . 17 May 2021 . WBTV3 . June 16, 2020.
  18. News: Carolina Strong Book Drive will honor Cynthia Graham Hurd . 18 May 2021 . Live5 WCSC . August 10, 2017.
  19. News: CCPL Honors Cynthia Hurd & the Emanuel 9 . 18 May 2021 . ABCNews4 . June 14, 2016.
  20. News: DeRobbio . Daniella . Charleston County Public Library to honor Cynthia Graham Hurd . 18 May 2021 . ABC4 . June 15, 2020.
  21. News: Charleston Co. Public Library branch honors Emanuel AME shooting victim with portrait . 25 May 2021 . WCSC5 . August 14, 2018 . The event was part of a series of events called "Kindness Week" to honor Hurd and her philosophy of always trying to be kind..
  22. News: Frohnsdorff . Susan . Between the Stacks: Celebrate Cynthia Graham Hurd . 18 May 2021 . Moultrie News . August 20, 2020.
  23. Web site: South Carolina African American History Calendar 2021 . 24 May 2021.
  24. Web site: Friedman . Rebekah . SLIS announces fellowship honoring Cynthia Graham Hurd . College of Information and Communications . University of South Carolina . 18 May 2021 . October 27, 2015.
  25. News: Latest links . 18 May 2021 . American Libraries . American Library Association.
  26. Web site: Hurd Memorial Scholarship 2020 | For Librarians | Springer Nature. www.springernature.com.
  27. News: CCPL Announces Inaugural Cynthia Graham Hurd Staff Award Winner . https://web.archive.org/web/20191030130838/https://www.charlestonchronicle.net/2019/10/29/ccpl-announces-inaugural-cynthia-graham-hurd-staff-award-winner/ . usurped . October 30, 2019 . 18 May 2021 . The Charleston Chronicle . October 29, 2019.
  28. News: Graham . Malcolm . Five years after Emanuel AME: A letter to my big sister . 17 May 2021 . The Charlotte Observer . June 17, 2020.