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

NAACP Today | Road Trip

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Lee Allyson Gailliard discusses the significance of the youth involvement in the NACCP. She elaborates on the remarkable advantage of participating in The Civil Rights Tour at The University of South...
Atlantic Beach | Road Trip

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Atlantic Beach, nicknamed "The Black Pearl," was established about 1934 as an oceanfront community for blacks denied access by other area beaches by segregation. Many became year-round residents, but...
Picket Department Stores | Road Trip

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Joseph McDomick, Jr., civil rights activist in Beaufort county, talks about picketing department stores like Edwards, Roses and Piggly Wiggly to protest the stores' refusal to hire black clerks.
Judge Matthew Perry, Jr. | Road Trip

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Beginning in the 1950s, Judge Matthew Perry, Jr became the leading civil rights lawyer in South Carolina. Judge Perry was the first African American federal judge in South Carolina. The Matthew J...
Integration Generation | Road Trip

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CONNECTIONS, South Carolina ETV's minority affairs show, investigates the effects of the civil rights movement on the children of the integration generation, who are now in their 40's and 50's, and...
Beaufort Organizations | Road Trip

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Joseph McDomick, Jr., civil rights activist in Beaufort county, talks about the influence of civil rights organizations like SNCC, CORE, the NAACP, the Freedom Riders and the Black Panther Party.
Mary Long Talks About Penn Center | Road Trip

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Mary Long talks about how far the Penn Center has come in establishing freedom for African Americans. It was at the Penn Center where many African Americans were given a chance to learn. CREDIT: Mary...
Avery Institute | Road Trip

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Curtis J. Franks addresses the role the Avery Institute played in instilling leadership skills in African Americans and the transition from a private to public school. CREDIT: Project Discovery...
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jr on Voting Rights | Road Trip

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Host, Listervelt Middleton, interviews the Rev. Jesse Jackson for the ETV series FOR THE PEOPLE. In this clip learn about Jackson's roots in the Civil Rights Movement. Jackson talks about the efforts...
Sterling High vs. Greenville High | Road Trip

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Former students of both Greenville High and Sterling High talk about the legacy of the segregated schools before desegregation. Present day Greenville High still carries the legacy of both schools...