Explore the African American community through the experiences of Blythewood resident, Ruby Brice. Brice's paternal family lived in Blythewood since the late 1800s. In the early 1900s, her maternal family moved to Blythewood to attend the local schools. Bethel High School was the only black school in the district. Students traveled from surrounding towns like Elgin, Pontiac, State Park and even Fort Jackson. Since schools were segregated, African American students from the military base had to travel to the only black high school in the area.
Baseball was the number one recreation for African American families in the area.
Brice, grandfather David Hagler, worked as a track layer on the Southern Railways for forty-four years. Her grandfather was also an entrepreneur, owning a store that used to be located where the current Blythewood town sign sits near I-77, Exit 27 Blythewood.
