Learn about noted African Americans, many born in South Carolina, with local and national accomplishments.
Video
Jazz legend John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. Dizzy Gillespie, Cheraw's claim to fame, filled many musical roles, such as trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and singer...
Video
Mayor Steve Benjamin, Columbia’s first African American mayor, was elected in a record-turnout election in 2010. He made it his mission to shape the Capital City into the most talented, educated and...
Video
David Drake, also known as “Dave the Potter” and “Dave the Slave,” (c.1801-c.1870) was an American potter who lived in Edgefield, S.C. Dave produced alkaline-glazed stoneware jugs between the 1820s...
Audio
"H" is for Hunter, Jane Edna Iris (1882-1971). Nurse, social worker. Family circumstances forced Hunter to go into domestic service when barely in her teens. She was able to work her way through...
Audio
"B" is for Brown, William Melvin, Jr. (1934-1994). Manufacturer. A native Charlestonian and a graduate of South Carolina State, Brown served in the Army, taught in the Charleston County schools, and...
Audio
"H" is for Hunter-Gault, Charlayne (b. 1942). Journalist, civil rights activist. Hunter-Gault attended Wayne State University in Detroit before a judge allowed her to desegregate the University of...
Audio
“S” is for Simkins, Modjeska Monteith [1899-1992] Educator, civil rights organizer, community activist. Simkins’s inspiration to become an advocate for the black community came from her parents. After...
Audio
"M" is for McCray, John Henry [1910-1987] Journalist. Civil rights activist.
Audio
"D" is for Doby, Lawrence Edward [1923-2003]. Baseball Player. Larry Doby was the first African American to play baseball in the American League and the second African American to manage a major...
Video
The panel talks about the excessive force used by law enforcement, and why the FBI’s training at the time was deemed "flawed."
