Black history

The original Columbia neighborhood of Wheeler Hill is now just a memory for those who once called the historically African American community “home.” That includes former resident Crissandra Elliott, whose childhood home was located at 215 Bull Street.

USC women's basketball coach Dawn Staley will hold a meet-and-greet at this year's annual Black Expo at the Charleston Area Convention Center in March.

Cecil Williams is well-known as a chronicler of the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina. The photojournalist was born and raised in the town of Orangeburg where he still resides, as does the museum which he built. The South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is home to hundreds of photographs Williams captured that bore witness to the realities of striving for racial equality.

In the early 1950s, Holly Scott enrolled in the Columbia Hospital School of Nursing, which was first established in 1935 as the School of Nursing for Black Students. When it closed in 1965, the school had graduated a total of 401 nurses in its history, including Holly Scott.

On August 28, 1963, an estimated 250,000 people made their way to Washington, D.C. to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. In attendance at the March on Washington was Gloria Dreher Eaddy of Columbia, SC, who later became a friend and mentor to Dr. Bobby Donaldson, a professor at the University of South Carolina.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for January 20, 2026: we hear from some potential 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls; we remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; we also have major campaign trail updates; and more!

On August 28, 1963, an estimated 250,000 people made their way to Washington, D.C. to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. In attendance at the March on Washington was Gloria Dreher Eaddy of Columbia, SC, who later became a friend and mentor to Dr. Bobby Donaldson, a professor at the University of South Carolina.

This week, we’ll be talking with Betsy Teter and Jim Neighbors about their book, North of Main: Spartanburg's Historic Black Neighborhoods of North Dean Street, Gas Bottom, and Back of the College. In this book, co-authors Brenda Lee Pryce, Betsy Teter and Jim Neighbors tell the story of how post-emancipation black districts arose in Spartanburg and how they disappeared.

In his new book, The Miraculous Art of Jazz, Benjamin Franklin V, Distinguished Professor of English, Emeritus, at the University of South Carolina, has gathered reviews of hundreds of recordings written over his 40-year career as a jazz writer.In our conversation his love for jazz and blues shines through. And the reviews he has collected in his book are as vital and important as ever – for listeners new to Jazz as well as long-time listeners who want to take a deeper dive into the music.

“H” is for Hinton, James Miles (1891-1970). Clergyman, businessman, civil rights leader.