29 www. ReadMPM. com | www.MountPl easantMagaz i ne. com | www.MountPl easantPodcas t . com The Mount Pleasant Senior Center. The East Cooper campus of Trident Technical College. The African American Historic Settlements Commission. These are just a few fixtures that enhance the daily lives of Mount Pleasant residents, and they were all made possible through the dogged efforts of a woman who has been called “a guiding light” throughout the community. Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, the first (and only) African American to ever serve on the Mount Pleasant Town Council, died in January shortly before her 80th birthday. Stokes-Marshall was born in the Mount Pleasant community of Snowden and moved with her parents to New York City at a young age. While living there, her family often made trips to see relatives in the Lowcountry where she became immersed in the deep roots of the Gullah-Geechee culture. She graduated from New York University and enjoyed a 28-year career in law enforcement in the Big Apple. After her retirement, she moved into the same house in Snowden that she had lived in as a child, residing there until her death. As a detective in New York, Stokes-Marshall received A Tribute to Thomasena Long live the fruit BY MARY COY our town
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