What:

U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-6), in partnership with the United States Postal Service, will host a dedication and plaque presentation ceremony for the renaming of the Orangeburg Post Office to the J.I. Washington Post Office. The United States Postal Service welcomes the public to attend this free event.

Who:

James E. Clyburn, U.S. Representative (SC-6)
Senator John Matthew (SC)
Johnnie Wright- Chairman of Orangeburg County Council
Mayor Michael Butler, City of Orangeburg
Kenneth Cobos, Manager of Post Office Operations- USPS
Family and Friends of J. I. Washington

When:

Monday, August 07, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. EST

Where:

Orangeburg County Administrative Center, Counsel Chamber
1437 Amelia St., 1st Floor.
Orangeburg, SC 29115

Background:

Julius Irving Washington as grew up on the campus of South Carolina State College. His elementary education began at the Claflin Elementary Department and Felton Laboratory School of South Carolina State. He completed high school at Mather Academy in Camden. J.I. attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and the Academy of Mortuary Science in New York City.

J.I. was the owner of the Washington Poultry Farm. He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, served on the Santee Cooper Board of Directors and on the South Carolina State College Board of Trustees. Other organizations he was associated includes: the Orangeburg Civic Breakfast Club, Life member of the NAACP, Urban Area Planning Commission, Lower Regional Manpower Commission, and the Orangeburg Board of Voter Registration. He was a veteran of World War II and served with the 351st Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theater. He was a Charter member of the Broadus Jamerson VFW Post 8166 in Orangeburg and served as its first Quarter Master.

Known throughout the community as “ J.I.” Washington was a significant force in local and state politics. He was deeply committed to voting rights, and broke barriers as the first African American to serve on the Orangeburg County Voter Registration Board. At a Democratic Party event honoring him in 1978, Washington was presided for his fairness, willingness to work, and to his ability to lead with courage and determination in registering voters in the Orangeburg County.

An editorial from Times and Democrat following his death, called Washington, “the person most responsible for moving Blacks into the political mainstream of Orangeburg County, although through his 64 years of life, he never offered himself as a political candidate.”

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