Charlotte, North Carolina Local News
Bertha Maxwell-Roddey, co-founder of Gantt Center, dies
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Maxwell-Roddey was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 1984 for her community service honoring and preserving Black history in North Carolina.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bertha Maxwell-Roddey, a trailblazer of Black excellence in Charlotte, died Wednesday, according to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts.
Maxwell-Roddey was the former national president of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. The organization shared news of her death on social media Thursday morning. She was 93.
“Dr. Roddey’s legacy will live on through the countless lives she has influenced through education, community advocacy, and the importance of preserving and celebrating Black history, arts, and culture,” the Gantt Center posted on Facebook. “Dr. Roddey’s vision and life’s work are evident daily at the Gantt Center.”
Among her long list of accomplishments and accolades, Maxwell-Roddey co-founded the Afro American Cultural and Service Center, now known as the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Uptown Charlotte. The museum was launched after UNC Charlotte students demanded a forum to acknowledge the rich history and contributions of Black Americans.
Maxwell-Roddy joined UNC Charlotte in 1970 and was the school’s second Black professor. She was the first director of the now-Gantt Center starting in 1974. While at UNC Charlotte, she served as the first chair of the Afro-American and African Studies Department.
Prior to her work with the Gantt Center, Maxwell-Roddey was a teacher and principal in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system, where the South Carolina native was the first Black administrator at Albemarle Road Elementary School, a predominately white school. She also worked with Habitat for Humanity, helping build hundreds of homes.
In 1984, Maxwell-Roddey was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in North Carolina, which is for “persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.”
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