COLUMBIA, S.C. — It was a special night for Deacon James Knotts as he celebrated his 100th birthday.
Dozens of family, friends and community members surrounded him.
He says he felt honored.
"All my life I've been treating people the way I want to be treated; all my life," Knotts said. "Happy to be around here 100 years."
So, what's the secret to living 100 years?
For Deacon Knotts, it's done by taking just short of a full day focusing on your personal goals. His granddaughter Brenda Branic explains.
"You can't look behind. You can't worry about what other people are doing, you have to run your race and do the things that you know are going to make you successful," Branic said.
For Knotts, success has come in different forms. He dropped out of school at a young age to work and support his mother, after his father's death.
He picked blackberries then and would later come to manage a cotton field before getting married, joining the military and serving in World War II and Korea.
Back home, he fought to get school buses for African Americans in Columbia and pushed to get people out to vote.
It's a service that people like Senator Darrell Jackson and Columbia Councilman Ed McDowell say they are grateful for.
On Saturday, Jackson honored Knotts with a resolution and McDowell named the day in his honor, also granting him a key to the city.
Knotts says he wasn't expecting all of the guests today.
"No, I definitely didn't. It was a surprise to me," Knotts said.
He hopes to be able to celebrate many more years to come.
