Bettis Academy

Rev. Alexander Bettis, a former slave who could read but couldn't write, established Bettis Academy in 1882 to provide education for African-Americans in South Carolina.

"Rev. Alexander Bettis, a former slave who could read but couldn't write, established Bettis Academy in 1882 to provide education for African-Americans in South Carolina. Bettis Academy provided both day and boarding options for its students. Its curriculum emphasized the Bible and religious instruction, literacy, mechanical and agricultural arts, and home economics. Bettis Academy closed in 1950. An annual Earth Day event is held there each April." - Discover South Carolina

Bettis Academy Overview | Let's Go!

Video

Established in Trenton (Edgefield County) in 1881 by the Reverend Alexander Bettis, this school provided former enslaved African Americans and their children with a basic education of reading and...
3D VR - Bettis Academy | Let's Go!
3D VR - Bettis Academy | Let's Go!

Interactive

Established in Trenton (Edgefield County) in 1881 by the Reverend Alexander Bettis, this school provided former enslaved African Americans and their children with a basic education of reading and...
Bettis Academy Photo Gallery | Let's Go!
Bettis Academy Photo Gallery | Let's Go!

Photo

Established in Trenton (Edgefield County) in 1881 by the Reverend Alexander Bettis, this school provided former enslaved African Americans and their children with a basic education of reading and...

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Center for Civil Rights History and Research

Center for Civil Rights History and Research

The University of South Carolina Center for Civil Rights History & Research is an organization dedicated to telling and preserving South Carolina’s civil rights story. Visit the official website.