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Black History Month Round-Up From baseball All-Star Larry Doby to Martin Luther King's mentor to enslaved people whose names we do not know, walk in the steps of America's heroes in South Carolina.
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If it weren’t for Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, would the world know Martin Luther King Jr? Probably not. Mays, a Greenwood, SC, native and Civil Rights activist, mentored King during his years at Atlanta’s Morehouse College. Mays served as president of Morehouse College (now Morehouse University) from 1940 to 1967. He also advised Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. At the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site in Greenwood, SC, visitors look back to the time of Mays childhood. In addition to the cabin where Dr. Mays lived, the site also features a one-room schoolhouse similar to the one Mays attended and a museum with photographs, excerpts from Mays' speeches (including his eulogy to King) and other artifacts. The site is open by appointment; admission is free. Call 864-229-2960 for an appointment. An active community center at the same complex still inspires people to overcome adversity and reach for their dreams and achieve self-sufficiency.
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BREAKING: Camden, SC To Open African American Cultural Center The February grand opening of the African American Cultural Center will feature an exhibit on Camden native son and baseball Hall of Famer Lawrence (Larry) Eugene Doby. Doby was the first African American to join the American League. The Cleveland Indians signed him in 1947, 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. Doby was a seven-time All-Star and later became the second black manager in the major leagues. He was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. Camden also invites visitors to explore the Campbell Street Corridor with a new brochure and free online audio tour. The tour guides visitors to landmarks and homes honoring the African American cultural pioneers who made their mark on the city.
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| A living history site with African-American interpretation, Historic Brattonsville presents the history of the Scots-Irish and African-Americans in McConnells, SC. The Bratton family home features more than 30 historic structures from the 1760s to the late 19th century on 778 acres with costumed interpreters. Black History Month Special Event: Every Sat this February, Historic Brattonsville presents: “By Way of the Back Door.” Learn about those who were enslaved at Brattonsville with special cooking demos and living history tours.
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Did You Know? The movie "Glory," starring Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick, was based on the Battle of Boykin's Mill in Rembert, SC. Here, the all-black 54th Massachusetts Infantry fought heroically as the first group of former enslaved men and freemen to fight as a commissioned group. First Lieutenant E. L. Stevens of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry was killed; he was the last federal officer to die in the Civil War, as the battle took place nine days after the end of the war had been declared. Nearby Boykin includes a broom workshop, water-powered grist mill and general store.
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| Music for Your Soul: Jazz great Dizzy Gillespie's home in Cheraw, SC, is also home to the Southern African-American Heritage Center. The center provides insight into the history and culture of African Americans who lived here from the 1800s to the mid 1900s. The Dizzy Gillespie exhibit includes artifacts owned by the famous jazz trumpet player, photographs of his family and visits to Cheraw and more. Call ahead for a Dizzy Tour or Heritage Walking Tour. The center is located in the historic black business district a few blocks from the The Dizzy Gillespie statue on the town green. Mark you calendar for the city's South Carolina Jazz Festival, Oct.19-21.
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| Come Experience The History, The Places
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| You'll find the Olde English Tourism District between Charlotte NC and Columbia SC. It covers seven counties in north central South Carolina. The district jags east, hugging the NC-SC border to Cheraw and extends south ALMOST but not to I-20 and Columbia. Union and Fairfield counties provide the western border—almost to I-26. Off-the-interstate gems are loaded with English history, small-town charm and state parks.
The Old 96 District is located in the western section of South Carolina. Three of the five western counties include several thousand miles of pristine shoreline along the Georgia-South Carolina border, also known as “South Carolina’s Freshwater Coast.” To the west, the district bumps up again I-26 and extends south almost to I-20. This region played a significant part in shaping our country’s future and character. Home to critical Colonial travel routes, the area spawned ten governors, multiple cultural leaders and thinkers and Clemson and Winthrop universities.
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