RALEIGH – A section of Interstate 85 in Warren County has been named in honor of former Congresswoman Eva Clayton.
Officials from the N.C. Department of Transportation, along with friends and family, gathered this weekend to celebrate both Congresswoman Clayton’s birthday and the highway dedication. Signs on I-85 from Ridgeway Drewry Road (Exit 226) to the Warren-Vance County line commemorate Clayton’s legacy in North Carolina.
Clayton earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and a master’s in biology and general science from North Carolina Central University in Durham. She made history as the first Black woman to represent North Carolina in Congress, where she advocated for the interests of the state’s First Congressional District in the northeast.
Her involvement in civic and political affairs was sparked by the civil rights movement. In 2022, Gov. Roy Cooper presented Clayton with the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest civilian honor.
Clayton continues to reside in Warren County, where she remains active in the community.