Lillian Brock Flemming
For State Senate District 7
After graduating with honors from Sterling High School, Lillian went on to become one of the first two African-American women to graduate from Furman University, earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mathematics Education.
After 23 years as a Mathematics teacher at Southside High School of International Baccalaureate Studies, she became the Professional Employment Specialist for Greenville County Schools in 1994.
Lillian serves on numerous boards and commissions, such as AdvanceSC Board of Directors (Duke-Energy funded), SC-TAC, Brockwood Senior Housing and the Southernside Community Center. Serving on 1980, Lillian currently serves as Vice Mayor Pro Tem.
She was President of the Municipal Association of South Carolina, representing 269 cities in 2003-2004, Trustee of Furman University 1995-2001.
Lillian has received numerous awards and honors such as: Honored-one of the 21 African American Jewels for Beyond Differences Inc. & Greenville County History Museum; Greenville Cultural Center's Women of Achievement Award for Public Service; YWCA‘s Amy Kay Stubbs Women of Achievement Award; Greenville Branch of the NAACP's Top Ten Most Influential African Americans by; Furman University's Richard Furman Baptist Heritage Award; Bellsouth African American History Calendar Honoree; 1st Annual State and Local Government Women's Triumph Award recipient for SC Governor's Commission on Women and the SC Ovarian Cancer Foundation; and Furman University awards the LILLIAN BROCK FLEMMING LEADERSHIP AWARD annually to an outstanding minority student leader.
Here are Ms. Flemming’s answers to some questions posed by the Institute.
Why you - why now for this position?
I feel that based upon my local and state service in roles of leadership that I have leadership skills, ability to effectively communicate my views and the involvement within the Greenville community that will give me the key relationships with citizens to obtain information that will help me to serve them effectively. I have worked very closely with neighborhood, women, social service agencies, churches, and students to help improve their quality of life, their service delivery as well as provide connections and opportunities for business development.
What is your leadership style?
My style of leadership is participative. As an elected official, it is my job to work with constituents to better serve them and not assume that I can speak for them.
With so few women in elected office here in SC what do you foresee to be your greatest challenge once elected to public office?
I see the greatest challenge once elected to the Senate position will be establishing trust among the other Senators to know that the District that I serve is in great need of help and services. I will be on a mission because the need is so critical with 77% of the District population is women, 52% are African American, and 16% are Hispanics. All of these groups have suffered for years from some of the legislation which negatively impacted these groups.
Has there been a woman who you've admired in the political world and what is it about her that gives you courage to run the race?
The woman in politics whom I most admire has been US Senator Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman congressman elected from the Deep South and first ever elected from Texas. Senator Jordan's intellect, legislative skills, and caring for the suffering of mankind impresses me because her approach made a difference in federal legislation that affects women, children, and all minority groups. She did not allow others to define her and she did not just sit back because she was in the minority.
South Carolina would be a better place if only...
More legislators would actually listen to constituents when they go home and realize that everyone would benefit if everyone was a part of all legislative consideration. To represent means that everyone's voice in your District should be heard.