Carrie Allen Nickens

COLUMBIA - Carrie Allen McCray Nickens was born in 1913 in Lynchburg, Virginia. She died Friday, July 25, 2008. The ninth of ten children, she moved with her family to Montclair, NJ, in 1920. Carrie earned her BA from Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama, and her MSW from New York University. she was married first to Scott Young, with whom she had one son, Scotty. Her second husband was the late South Carolina journalist and civil and political rights activist, John H. McCray. Finally in November 2007, Carrie married John Nickens, whom she’d known since middle school some 80 years earlier.

During her years as a social worker, teacher and social activist, Carrie received dozens of awards and commendations including Social Worker of the Year and the United Negro College Fund’s Teacher of the Year. Though she wrote scholarly articles, short stories and poetry, Carrie started writing seriously at the age of 73.

Carrie began each morning writing around 5 a.m. She said it was her favorite time of the day, just the sunrise, bird songs and her creative mind at work. Not just a writer but an avid seeker of the truth, Carrie spent 30 years researching her family history and in 1998 those decades of work resulted in the publication of her magnificent biography of her mother “Freedom’s Child: The Life of a Confederate General’s Black Daughter.” Carrie went on a nationwide speaking tour traveling from coast to coast. In addition she continued to participate in writers’ workshops and accepted numerous invitations to speak and read her poetry. She loved teaching creative writing at Shepard’s Center of St. Andrews in Columbia.

Carrie’s final major work was a project that was also very close to her heart, the completion of her poem “Ota Benga Under My Mother’s Roof.” Ota Benga was an African pygmy who was brought to America in 1906 and displayed in the Monkey House of the Bronx Zoo. Carrie’s mother, Mary Rice Hayes Allen, was among those protesting this abominable treatment and took Ota into her home. He lived with the Allen family until his death 2 years later. Carrie was a little girl at the time but the tragedy of Ota Benga stuck with her and now lives in her provocative and poignant poem.

Carrie is survived by her husband John Nickens; sister, Rosemary Jones, son Scott Young, grandson Todd Young, great-granddaughter Amiah Young; dozens of nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends, supporters and admirers of her extraordinary work and life.

Carrie will be dearly missed by her family and friends but her beautiful words will live forever in her writings.

The family would like to thank the staffs of National Health Care of West Columbia and Hospice Care of Tri-County for their extraordinary and loving care of Carrie.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the building fund of Second Calvary Baptist Church, 1110 Mason Road, Columbia, SC 29203 or the South Carolina Writers’ Workshop, P.O. Box 7104, Columbia, SC 29202.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Second Calvary Baptist Church, 1110 Mason Road.

The family would be happy to receive friends at the church immediately following the service.

Manigault-Hurley Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

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