Martin Luther King, Jr. addresses a crowd to encourage voter participation in Kingstree, SC on May 8, 1966. | Photo courtesy of The State Newspaper Photograph Archive at Richland Library.
To honor of the life + legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and in observance of MLK Day today, we dug into his ties to the Lowcountry. More specifically, his ties to the Holy City.
MLK at Emanuel AME Church
In 1962, the civil rights leader visited Charleston’s Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church to speak to about the importance of registering to vote. There were ~3,000 people in attendance.
MLK’s speech in Charleston
King was also in Charleston five years later. On July 30, 1967, he gave a speech:
“We live in America. We have to face the fact that, honestly, racial discrimination is present. So don’t get complacent... We still have a long, long, way to go.”
Recording of MLK in Charleston
In 2019, a rare recording of one of his Charleston speeches sold for $68,000 in a civil rights auction in New York City. The speech includes King’s calls for the crowd to help build the Black community.
Cirque Musica: Heroes & Villains | Thursday, Jan. 22-Friday, Jan. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Gaillard Center | $26+ | Experience the Charleston Symphony performing legendary music from Harry Potter, Superman, Star Wars, and more, brought to life with breathtaking acrobatics and gravity-defying stunts.*
Founded 40+ years ago as a true “thorn” in the supplement industry, the company set out to create safe, effective, science-backed solutions that healthcare practitioners and their patients could trust.
Moving its headquarters to Summerville in 2018 allowed Thorne to expand manufacturing and evolve into a direct-to-consumer brand, bringing its solutions to more Charlestonians (and beyond).
A new record-breaking condo recently sold for $21 million in Las Vegas, with skyline views of Sin City from within a prestigious country club. Here in CHS, we’ve got spectacular condos, too. (Realtor)
Mailbag
Did you see our recent roundup of places to play table tennis in Charleston? Reader Kinnet E. wrote in to give us another suggestion: “They also have table tennis at the Mt. Pleasant Senior Center.” Peep the schedule for more info.
Trending
This 5-month-old viral avalanche rescue dog-in-training won’t quite be ready for the slopes in Northern Italy this time around, but could be a hero in four years’ time. The 2026 Winter Olympics start in 18 days — make sure you’re subscribed to keep up with all the Charleston-relevant happenings. (ABC News)
Try This
Country line dancing is making a comeback, and bars across the US are embracing a honky-tonk vibe to draw in crowds. Editor’s Pick: Slip on your cowboy boots and join the fun in our area at HonkyTonk Saloon. (Wall Street Journal)
The Word
Bongo. That was the Wordle answer that stumped the most players in 2025. Ready to redeem yourself this year? Fire up a fresh winning streak in CHStoday’s Games portal. (TODAY)
Today Is
Today, January 19, is the day Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809. If it’s been a while since you read “The Raven,” spend the day in Poe-esque fashion and find a dark, quiet, brooding corner at the library.
Community
Do you need hiring help? We’ve got your back. Post your open roles on our Job Board + get connected with local candidates in no time. Pssst — did we mention it’s free?
Read
Staying behind on tech trends can be a career killer. Learn the most important tech news delivered in just two short emails a week with The Code, trusted by 100,000+ engineers at companies like Google, Meta, and Apple. It’s free to subscribe.*
Our favorite two-piece set featuring a knit sweater vest and pants. Pair it with your favorite cardigan for winter wardrobing, then wear it on its own as the weather warms for effortless, year-round style.
When it comes to oyster preferences, we’ve got a hung jury among our readers.
I won’t reveal the votes yet, but it is very close between the top two answers in our recent mollusk-centered poll. Cast your vote so we can shell-ebrate a winner.
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