Each year, Black History Month is recognized during February to celebrate achievements by African Americans and remember the important role of blacks in U.S. history.
It was first started by Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History– now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
In 1926, ASALH officially launched a “Negro History Week,” which was strategically planned during the month of February as it contains Frederick Douglass’ birthday (Feb. 14) and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12).
By the 1960s, college and universities started to recognize February as Black History Month on campus and when Gerald Ford became president, he decreed Black History Month a national observance in 1976.
In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some of the notable South Carolina men and women who have made an impact on a local and national scale.
For more information on these individuals + others who have made an impact in the state of South Carolina, visit the “Notable African-American” section of SCIWAY.
Robert Smalls | Beaufort | Born 1839, died 1915 | As a slave, he hijacked a Confederate steamship, disguised himself as a white captain, and sailed to Union safety. He went on to become a captain in US Navy and a representative in the US Congress.
Anna DeCosta Banks | Charleston | Born 1869, died 1930 | She was a private nurse with the Ladies’ Benevolent Society in Charleston and a pioneer for students during her long career at the Hospital and Training School for Nurses in Charleston. Today, a wing of MUSC Health is named after her.
Dr. Matilda Arabelle Evans | Aiken | Born 1872, died 1935 | In 1897, she became the first African American woman licensed as a physician in South Carolina.
Charlotta Spears Bass | Sumter | Born 1874, died 1969 | A newspaper publisher and Civil Rights leader who became the first African American woman to run for national office as Vice President of the United States in 1952.
Mary McLeod Bethune | Mayesville | Born 1875, died 1955 | She founded Bethune-Cookman University and under Franklin Roosevelt, she served as Special Advisor on Minority Affairs. In 1935, she founded the National Council for Negro Women to “represent the national and international concerns of Black women.” Today, her portrait hangs in South Carolina’s State House and there is a statue erected to her in Washington, DC..
Septima Poinsette Clark | Charleston | Born 1898, died 1987 | Known as the “Queen Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” she helped establish citizenship schools across the South so blacks could learn to read and vote. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, he asked Clark to go with him to Norway, because she deserved the award as much as he did. Read more about Septima Poinsette Clark and why the Crosstown is named after her here.
Clayton “Peg Leg” Bates | Fountain Inn | Born 1907, died 1998 | He worked as a child laborer in a cotton mill, where he lost his leg– yet he went on to established a successful career as a tap dancer. In the 1930s, he became a Broadway star and made over 20 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show during the 1950s and 1960s. A bronze statue of him stands in his hometown of Fountain Inn.
Dizzy Gillespie | Cheraw | Born 1917, died 1993 | John Birks, a.k.a “Dizzy,” taught himself to play trumpet at age 12 and began recording at the age of 20. His unique style played a major role in the rise of bebop and modern jazz.
Judge Matthew Perry, Jr. | Columbia | Born 1921, died 2011 | Became the first African American federal judge in South Carolina.
Marjorie Amos-Frazier | Manning | Born 1926, died 2010 | A public servant and Civil Rights leaders who was honored in 1993 when a portion of I-26 was named for her.
Eartha Kitt | Orangeburg | Born 1927, died 2008 | A world-famous entertainer with a star on Hollywood Boulevard. Although she had a hard time landing jobs due to her refusal to perform for segregated audiences, she went on to become well known for her 1953 recording of Santa Baby and her role as Catwoman on TV’s Batman.
Althea Gibson | Sumter | Born 1927, died 2003 | In the 1950s, she shattered racial barriers to become the first African American to win world-championship tennis tournaments such as Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Championship, and the US National Championship (now the US Open).
Lucille Simmons Whipper | Charleston | Born 1928 | A Civil Rights pioneer who was elected to various state and local offices– including the State House of Representatives– where she was the first black woman ever elected from the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester area. A stretch of US-17 is named in her honor.
James A. Blake, Sr. | Marion | Born 1930, died 2006 | He was the first African American member of the South Carolina State Board of Education and its first African American chair.
James Brown | Barnwell | Born 1933, died 2006 | He became known as the “Godfather of Soul” and was called “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.”
Juanita Willmon-Goggins | Pendleton | Born 1934, died 2010 | Became the first African American woman elected to the SC House of Representatives.
Cecil J. Williams | Orangeburg | Born 1937 | At 14-years old, Williams was hired by JET Magazine to record the images of the Civil Rights movement in South Carolina. He went on to write Freedom & Justice.
James E. Clyburn | Columbia | Born 1940 | A democratic politician who represented the 6th district of South Carolina in the United States Congress. He has served in the House of Representatives since 1993.
Chubby Checker | Spring Gulley | Born 1941 | Ernest Evans, a.k.a. Chubby Checker, is best known for his 1960 summer hit– The Twist.
Jesse Jackson | Greenville | Born 1941 | One of the nation’s most prominent Civil Rights leaders and two-time Democratic presidential candidate.
Harvey B. Gantt | Charleston | Born 1943 | He was the first student to desegregate a South Carolina college– Clemson University. He graduated with honors and later received a Master’s Degree in architecture from MIT. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte is named in his honor.
student to desegregate a South Carolina college– Clemson University. He graduated with honors and later received a Master’s Degree in architecture from MIT. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte is named in his honor.
Mary Jackson | Mount Pleasant | Born 1945 | She perfected the art of sweetgrass baskets and her work has been exhibited in major museums throughout the country– including the Smithsonian. In 2008, she was honored with the MacArthur “Genius Grant.”
Charles Bolden, Jr. | Columbia | Born 1946 | He graduated from the Naval Academy, joined the US Marines, and rose to the rank of Major General. He later became an astronaut, was the first black administrator of NASA and flew four missions in space.
Dr. Ronald McNair | Lake City | Born 1950, died 1986 | He became the second African American to fly in space and was one of the seven astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy in 1986.
Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. | Laurens | Born 1954, died 2018 | He was the first black athlete to receive Clemson University’s “Frank Howard Award.” He was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played in two Super Bowls. He eventually returned to Clemson to earn his Master’s Degree.
Viola Davis | St. Matthews | Born 1965 | She is the only black woman to be nominated three times for an Academy Award; the only African American to win the “Triple Crown of Acting,” by earning two Tonys for King Hedley II and Fences; she won an Emmy for How To Get Away With Murder and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the screen version of Fences in 2017.
Tim Scott | North Charleston | Born 1965 | From growing up in a low-income, single-parent household, Scott was eventually elected to the Charleston County Council, to the South Carolina State House, and the U.S. House of Representatives. In January 2013, Tim was sworn in as a United States Senator from South Carolina and was re-elected in January 2017. He is an advocate for low-income families and works to ensure children have access to quality education.
Darius Rucker | Charleston | Born 1966 | Darius became famous as the lead singer for Hootie & the Blowfish, before creating a solo career in country music. He is well-known in the Charleston community for his community services efforts.
Kimberly Clarice Aiken | Columbia | Born 1975 | After being crowned Miss America in 1994, she used her fame to found HERO– the Homeless Education and Resource Organization.
Chadwick Boseman | Anderson | Born 1977 | American actor known for his portrayals of Jackie Robinson and James Brown. He also plays the superhero, Black Panther.
