African American History

Learn about the achievements of African Americans who have shaped South Carolina and American history.

Black History Month is celebrated every February to honor the achievements of African Americans who have shaped American history. Historian Carter G. Woodson hoped to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization by establishing Negro History Week. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that included both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass' birthdays. The week was later expanded to a month in 1976 during the United States bicentennial.

PHOTO: On March 20, 1969, Black hospital workers at the Medical College of South Carolina in Charleston went on strike to protest the firing of twelve employees and to call for higher wages and union recognition.

Within this Collection

Penn Center: A Legacy | Carolina Stories
Episode 1

Video

Located on St. Helena Island, some may remember it as Penn School, while others know it as Penn Center. St. Helena is one of the few places where you will see a living Gullah community. The history...
Mary McLeod Bethune | History of SC Slide Collection
Mary McLeod Bethune | History of SC Slide Collection
Episode 16

Photo

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), the daughter of former slaves, was born in Maysville. Believing that the only way to advance in the world was to be able to read, Bethune eventually became a leading...