Modjeska Simkins, Part 2 | Idella Bodie's S.C. Women - Episode 2

Part 2 of the Modjeska Simkins story.

An African American girl born to a half-white, half-black brick mason, Modjeska came from relative wealth and married into wealth, but dedicated her life to helping the disadvantaged to be treated equally.

Classroom Activities

Research: Individual or small groups. Students utilize a variety of research materials to create a short presentation about different stages of Modjeska Simkin’s life: as a child living in Arkansas and South Carolina, as a young lady going to college, as an important figure in the process of equality for all, and as the leader in the lawsuit against Clarendon County. Explain why Modjeska was important to the state and nation. Reports should be presented to the class or larger group.  

Character Education: Class Discussion. After researching Modjeska Simkins, the students should list the qualities that enabled her to achieve her goal as a leader in the fight for equality for all. List the many obstacles that Modjeska Simkins had to overcome to pursue her goal. 

Compare and Contrast:  Individual or small groups. Through Internet Websites and Media Center resources, students research and document information on the Clarendon County lawsuit that was spearheaded by Modjeska Monteith Simkins and others for equality in education. Compare information obtained on the Clarendon County lawsuit to the Brown vs. Board of Education lawsuit. 

Analysis: What risks did Modjeska Monteith Simkins face by fighting for equal rights for all? What consequences might have occurred in this process?

Interview: Interview community members that attended different types of schools in the area during the 1950’s and 60’s to find out what impact the phrase “separate but equal” had on the school system. What differences were found in the physical plant of schools, materials and equipment as well as instructional qualifications of staff? Compare and contrast the differences. 

Field Trip: Take a field trip to the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House located at 2025 Marion Street, Columbia, South Carolina. Historic Columbia Foundation manages the Modjeska Simkins House and also manages four historic house museums and their associated artifacts, and tells the stories of people, places and progress in Columbia and Richland County. For more information call 803-252-7742 or visit Historic Columbia Foundation’s website at http://www.historiccolumbia.org.

Standards

• 3-5 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the major developments in South Carolina in the late nineteenth and the twentieth century.
  • South Carolina experienced major economic, political, and social changes during the late nineteenth and the twentieth century. To understand the effects of these changes, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following ind...
    • 3-5.5 Summarize the development of economic, political, and social opportunities of African Americans in South Carolina, including the end of Jim Crow laws; the desegregation of schools (Briggs v. Elliott) and other public facilities; and efforts of Af...
• 5-5 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the social, economic and political events that influenced the United States during the Cold War era.
  • The post–World War II period was dominated by a power conflict that pitted former allies against each other over economic and political differences. This Cold War affected all aspects of American life at home and abroad. To understand the impact...
    • 5-5.3 Explain the advancement of the modern Civil Rights Movement; including the desegregation of the armed forces, Brown v. Board of Education, the roles of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Civil Rights acts, and the Voting Rights Act.
• 8-7 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the impact on South Carolina of significant events of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
  • Changes that took place in the United States during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries revitalized the economy and challenged traditional society and politics in South Carolina. To understand the response of South Carolina to these ch...
    • 8-7.2 Analyze the movement for civil rights in South Carolina, including the impact of the landmark court cases Elmore v. Rice and Briggs v. Elliot; civil rights leaders Septima Poinsette Clark, Modjeska Monteith Simkins, and Matthew J. Perry; the Sout...