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January 2025 on KnowItAll.org

January 2025 on KnowItAll.org

Happy New Year to all! 

Included in January are resources for World Day of Peace, National Personal Trainer Awareness Day, National Trivia Day (become knowledgeable on an assortment of topics by selecting a month from our KnowItAll Factoids and explore!), plus there are Trivia Quizzes that correspond to each episode of History In A Nutshell. We have resources on the space shuttle (to acknowledge the date on which the bill funding it was signed into law).and content for National Bird Day, National Technology Day, National Career Coach Day, and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Also National Cut Your Energy Costs Day. For National Save the Eagles Day, view this segment from Project Discovery Revisited and this segment from NatureScene Bulls Island. 

We offer resourcues for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and  for National Pharmacist Day. We have resources on Harvey Gantt on the anniversary of his admission to Clemson University. There's also content for Penguin Awareness Day and Australia Day. Our Holocaust Remembrance Collection provides resources for International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

 

FEATURED THIS MONTH ON KNOWITALL.ORG

EDGAR ALLEN POE'S TIES TO SOUTH CAROLINA | HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL SHORTS

American author Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe solidified his legacy as master of the gothic and macabre with his poems and short stories, and was one of the earliest practitioners of the detective or mystery genre. Some of Poe’s most well-known works include The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Annabel Lee, The Gold Bug, and more!

Speaking of The Gold Bug, did you know that Edgar Allan Poe served in the U.S. Army, and was stationed at Fort Moultrie, in Charleston, South Carolina? Poe enlisted under the name “Edgar A. Perry”, and served at Fort Moultrie for two years, attaining the rank of Sergeant Major for Artillery. It was during his time at Fort Moultrie where Poe began devising the plot for The Gold Bug. Sullivan’s Island inspired Poe to use the location as the setting for that short story! This is why Edgar Allan Poe imagery can be found throughout Charleston.

 

THE WORLD OF CECIL SHORTS

When the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina hit its stride, Cecil Williams was there with his camera creating a visual record through marches, meetings, sit-ins, demonstrations and riots. A child of the movement, himself, Williams was both an active participant and a passionate observer and preserver of its history. It is a role he prepared for from childhood; a role he embraces, yet today.

Williams is outspoken in his belief that the Civil Rights Movement had its beginning in Clarendon County, South Carolina, and that South Carolina—especially his hometown of Orangeburg—played a critical and pivotal role on the national civil rights front, although its primacy and impact are little known and accorded scant recognition. Through publications, sharing his photographs, telling the stories—and most recently, creating a South Carolina Civil Rights Museum, Williams hopes to correct this oversight. The two-part documentary, The World of Cecil tells his story through glimpses of major events and people, illuminated by Cecil’s photographs. Along the way, we learn of the myriad talents and accomplishments of Cecil J. Williams, the man, who set out to help make the world a better place.

 

FEATURED IN JANUARY

JANUARY 20, 2025 - MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

MARTIN LUTHER KING COLLECTION

This Collection honors the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and relays much of the history of the Civil Rights era. The Collection includes: 

RELATED SERIES

Penn Center: A Legacy of Change
This program tells the story of the Penn Center’s inception in 1862 as a school for freed slaves to its involvement in the Gullah community today. Today the center collects, documents, preserves, and disseminates information related to cultural heritage of the Sea Island and Lowcountry African American culture.

African American History Month on Periscope
This collection honors our history and the African Americans who made strides in the advancement of African Americans.

Road Trip! Through South Carolina's Civil Rights History
Designed to help teachers and students to learn about the people and the events, and the importance of the civil rights movement in South Carolina from the 1940s to the early 1970s. 

VIDEOS

Be sure to check the individual resources in this collection, including these and more!

LESSONS

View the full Martin Luther King Collection – just one click away!

 

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY COLLECTION

KnowItAll's African American History Collection provides these resources—all in one place! Use them now for Martin Luther King Day and in February for African American History Month.

TOPICS IN THIS COLLECTION INCLUDE:

SERIES

A True Likeness (Richard Samuel Roberts, Photographer)

A True Likeness tells the story of Richard Samuel Roberts, a little-known African American photographer from South Carolina whose posthumous discovery transcended stereotypes and brought to light a significant legacy. Heralded as one of the south’s most accomplished photographers of the 1920's and 1930's, Roberts was a self-taught artist who was determined to become a master portrait maker, with every image a true likeness of the subject. But for more than 40 years after his death his work remained lost to all but his family and friends.

A Visit to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Park

Journey back in time with the Charleston National Parks as they tell the stories of Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and the roles they played in the American Civil War.  Included in this series are videos chronicling the outbreak of the Civil War, Robert Smalls' helping others escape from slavery, and the Massachusetts 54th Infantry's legendary storming of Battery Wagner. 

African American History Month | Periscope

This collection honors our history and the African Americans who made strides in the advancement of African Americans.

Avery Research Center | Let’s Go!

The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is located on the site of the former Avery Normal Institute. It was a hub for Charleston’s African American community from 1865–1954 that trained its students for professional careers and leadership roles. In 1985, the alumni of the Avery Normal Institute, spearheaded by the Honorable Lucille Whipper, formed the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture. It joined with the College of Charleston to establish the Avery Research Center to preserve the legacy of the Avery Normal Institute and educate the community on the history and culture of African Americans in Charleston, the South Carolina Lowcountry, and South Carolina at large.

Over 3000 patrons visit the Avery Research Center annually, ranging from scholars and lecturers to school groups and universities, to families and community members from all over the world. The Avery Research Center provides tours, hosts workshops, presents lectures, and spotlights local and national talents in various forms of creative expression. Additionally, partnerships with the Charleston Public Schools, Berkeley Public Schools, the MOJA Arts Festival: A Celebration of African-American and Caribbean Arts sponsored by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, and other community groups extend the Avery Research Center’s reach into local communities.

Blythewood History

In 2017, Modos Media was asked to produce a film telling the story of the African-American history of Blythewood, South Carolina These films tell that story as told by six women representing some of the most well known families that have lived in Blythewood for many generations. The stories cross many generations of their families and reflect the translation of the big events of American history both good and bad, via their families’ personal experiences. The stories are inspiring, disturbing and empowering. We hear of families and their neighbors, building a better future from the days following emancipation, sharecropping, working together to create the first black high school in the area, encouraging friends and neighbors to register to vote, despite occasional fierce and frightening opposition, and so much more. Through the lens of Blythewood, we see the story of the south in America.

Born To Rebel, Driven To Excel (Benjamin Mays)

In this film biography of South Carolinian Dr. Benjamin Mays, Andrew Young says it this way: “If there hadn’t been a Benjamin Mays, there wouldn’t have been a Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum

Founded in 2019 by acclaimed civil rights photographer Cecil Williams, the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is the Palmetto State’s first and only civil rights museum.

Civil Rights Movement | SC Hall of Fame

Meet South Carolinians who fought for equality during the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Youth Media Summit

Features interviews with Cecil Williams, Ernest Finney, Frank Washington, James Clyburn, Oveta Glover, Titus Duren, and Victoria Eslinger, who provide their recollections from this era.

Congressman Jim Clyburn

In this episode of Big Picture, host Andrew Gobeil spotlights James E. Clyburn: a civil rights leader from South Carolina, who rose to become one of the most powerful men in Congress.   History was made in January, 2007, when Jim Clyburn became House Majority Whip, the first South Carolinian to reach such a high position in Congress. His passion for politics drove him through defeats and victories, to reach the third most powerful political position in the U.S.

Dizzy Gillespie: From the Be to the Bop | Carolina Stories

Much of America's blues and jazz influences are deeply rooted in the rhythms and melodies of the rural South. One artist who has greatly contributed to these genres' continued popularity is South Carolina's own John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie. Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He taught and influenced many other musicians, including trumpeters Miles Davis, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Arturo Sandoval, Lee Morgan, Jon Faddis and Chuck Mangione. Noted as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time, Gillespie's complex style and compositions were difficult to copy.

Part jazz concert, and part discussion of his genius, the program explores Gillespie’s life and legacy through a group of South Carolina's finest jazz artists, all of whom have benefited from the influences of his music. Led by Gillespie's official biographer, Dr. Al Fraser, the musicians include:

  • Mitch Butler, director of Jazz Studies at Claflin University
  • Gene Dykes, leader of the Gene Dykes Jazz Orchestra
  • Dick Goodwin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at USC’s School of Music, and leader of the Dick Goodwin Big Band
  • Charlton Singleton, artistic director of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra
  • The unique story of his music will be told from both a historical and contemporary perspective, starting with a foundation that is deeply rooted in South Carolina.

Ernest A. Finney - S.C. Chief Justice | S.C. Hall of Fame

In 1960, Ernest Finney (1931-2017)  began his law practice in Sumter, South Carolina, specializing in civil rights advocacy and defense. He represented the Friendship 9, a group of black college students arrested and charged when trying to desegregate a lunch counter in Rock Hill, S.C. In 1972, Finney was elected to the State House of Representatives. Four years later he became the first black Circuit Court judge. In 1985, he was appointed to the South Carolina Supreme Court and was named Chief Justice on May 11, 1994.

Ernest Finney passed away on December 3, 2017 at age 86.

Education of Harvey Gantt

In 1960, a talented African American student from Charleston, Harvey Gantt, graduated from high school and decided to become an architect. Clemson College was the only school in South Carolina that offered a degree in his chosen field. In January of 1963, with the help of NAACP lawyer Matthew J. Perry, Gantt won a lawsuit against Clemson and was peacefully admitted to the college, making him the first African American student to attend a formerly all-white school in South Carolina. 

Gullah Collection

In the past, people have described the Gullah culture as quaint and the language as unintelligible. A closer look reveals a complex history and language with direct links to West Africa that survived slavery and thrived on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. The Gullah experience has many variables that make it unique to each family and community. 

GullahNet

In the past, people have described the Gullah culture as quaint and the language as unintelligible. A closer look reveals a complex history and language with direct links to West Africa that survived slavery and thrived on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. The Gullah experience has many variables that make it unique to each family and community. 

Gullah Roots

Gullah Roots dives deep into South Carolina’s ties with West Africa, educating viewers about Gullah heritage, including spiritual, musical and artistic traditions.

Homecoming: Art of Jonathan Green and Leo Twiggs | Carolina Stories

This program explores the works of two outstanding artists who are sons of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Twiggs and Green share an indelible bond, reflected in their works.

Jail, No Bail | Carolina Stories

This program is a series documentary that pays tribute to the “Friendship Nine,” a group of college students who were arrested for a lunch counter sit-in in Rock Hill, SC in 1961. Instead of paying bail (as was the norm with all previous sit-ins), they served 30 days of hard labor, making the city pay to house, feed & clothe them, thus turning the tables & drying up a dubious revenue stream. This movement caught on nationally, changing the entire sit-in strategy. The program was the centerpiece of 50th anniversary events, and still has legs today. It included extensive television, educational and community outreach initiatives.

Mary McLeod Bethune (Idella Bodie's S.C. Women)

The Story of Mary McLeod Bethune is the story of one woman’s struggle to gain equality for herself and her students. Mary grew up in rural South Carolina and became a teacher. She started with nothing and ended up being an advisor to a President! 

Matthew Perry | SC Hall of Fame

Matthew James Perry, Jr. was born in Columbia, South Carolina, August 3, 1921. He attended law school at South Carolina State College and would play a central role in nearly every noteworthy civil rights case in South Carolina. Perry served on the U.S. Court of Military Appeals and was later named U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina. He died July 29, 2011.

Modjeska Simkins (Idella Bodie's S.C. Women) 

An African American girl born to a half-white, half-black brick mason, Modjeska Simkins came from relative wealth and married into wealth, but dedicated her life to helping the disadvantaged to be treated equally in South Carolina.

Modjeska Monteith Simkins | Carolina Snaps

Modjeska Monteith Simkins is known as the "matriarch of civil rights activists" in South Carolina. Born in Columbia in 1899, Simkins spent her adult life fighting for equality and advocating for human rights.

Penn Center: A Legacy of Change

This program tells the story of the Penn Center’s inception in 1862 as a school for freed slaves to its involvement in the Gullah community today. Today the center collects, documents, preserves, and disseminates information related to cultural heritage of the Sea Island and Lowcountry African American culture.

Reconstruction 360

Reconstruction 360 uses a 360 degree video platform as a storytelling device that lets the audience step inside pivotal Reconstruction events. By clicking on icons within the 360 video the user can access short documentaries that offer the perspectives of multiple characters. Reconstruction 360 also includes lesson plans, primary documents, and curriculum standards.

Reflections of Columbia

Take a historical journey from the founding of Columbia, South Carolina, through the Civil War, the Depression, World War II, civil rights, up to the present.

Road Trip! Through South Carolina's Civil Rights History

Road Trip!  was designed to help teachers and students to learn about the people and the events, and the importance of the civil rights movement in South Carolina from the 1940s to the early 1970s. Questions to think about:

  • Which Civil Rights activists impressed you? What contributions did they make to the Civil Rights Movement in SC?
  • What struggles, dangers and hardships did people face during the Civil Rights Movement?
  • If you had been a student activist at that time, what would you have done?

Ronald McNair | Carolina Snaps

South Carolina native Ronald McNair was the second African-American to go into space, and was part of the STS-51L crew that died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off on January 28, 1986.

Saving Sandy Island | Carolina Stories

Saving Sandy Island is a documentary about the struggle to save an exceptional South Carolina island and its Gullah community from development. 

SC Chief Justice Ernest Finney | SC Hall of Fame

In 1960, Ernest Finney (1931-2017)  began his law practice in Sumter, South Carolina, specializing in civil rights advocacy and defense. He represented the Friendship 9, a group of black college students arrested and charged when trying to desegregate a lunch counter in Rock Hill, S.C. In 1972, Finney was elected to the State House of Representatives. Four years later he became the first black Circuit Court judge. In 1985, he was appointed to the South Carolina Supreme Court and was named Chief Justice on May 11, 1994.

Ernest Finney passed away on December 3, 2017 at age 86.

SC Confederate Flag

View the collection of stories that led up to the removal of the Confederate Flag from the grounds of the S.C. State House on Friday, July 10, 2015.

Septima Clark | SC Hall of Fame

A pioneer in grassroots citizenship education, Septima Clark was called the ‘‘Mother of the Civil Rights Movement’’ by Martin Luther King. Clark was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1898, daughter of a laundrywoman and a former slave. She became a teacher on Johns Island, leader of workshops at Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, and founder of “citizenship schools” throughout the South. Septima Clark, civil rights activist, developed the concept of “citizenship schools.”

South Carolina African American History Calendar

The South Carolina African American History Calendar is a 12-month calendar that profiles individuals from across the state who have had a positive, compelling impact on South Carolina and, often, across the country.

Talking Black in America: Roots

“Talking Black in America: Roots” is the third program in a series of television documentaries exploring dimensions of African American language and culture and their formative influence on the United States and beyond; it is a celebration of African-American resiliency, creativity, and ingenuity, finding a connection of the spirit to the people and society of West Africa and the African Diaspora. Filmed in West Africa, the Caribbean, and throughout the United States.

Tuskegee Airmen

In 1941, an all African American flying squadron was established in Tuskegee, Alabama. The purpose of this Army Air Corps program was to train African Americans to fly and maintain a combat aircraft. The people involved in this experiment acquired the name "Tuskegee Airmen." Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington, was selected as the training ground for the pilots. The school had the facilities, technology and climate for training year-round with airplanes. By World War II, the Tuskegee program had expanded and become the center for African American aviation. The Tuskegee Airmen paved the way for full integration of African Americans into the U.S. military.

The World of Cecil

When the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina hit its stride, Cecil Williams was there with his camera creating a visual record through marches, meetings, sit-ins, demonstrations and riots. A child of the movement, himself, Williams was both an active participant and a passionate observer and preserver of its history. It is a role he prepared for from childhood; a role he embraces, yet today.

Williams is outspoken in his belief that the Civil Rights Movement had its beginning in Clarendon County, South Carolina, and that South Carolina—especially his hometown of Orangeburg—played a critical and pivotal role on the national civil rights front, although its primacy and impact are little known and accorded scant recognition. Through publications, sharing his photographs, telling the stories—and most recently, creating a South Carolina Civil Rights Museum, Williams hopes to correct this oversight. The two-part documentary, The World of Cecil tells his story through glimpses of major events and people, illuminated by Cecil’s photographs. Along the way, we learn of the myriad talents and accomplishments of Cecil J. Williams, the man, who set out to help make the world a better place.

 

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

There are seven overview sections. Each provides a short summary of a topic related to the Holocaust. Teachers can summarize these mini-lectures for their students or share them with more able readers. The overviews are intended to supplement the information in students' textbooks on each topic and provide a background for teaching the lessons that follow each overview. A Holocaust timeline and glossary are also included.

​Trace the events of the Holocaust through the testimony of survivors who settled in South Carolina. Interviews are combined with dramatic archival footage for a powerful and moving record of the inhumanity that was experienced during the Holocaust.

Full interviews with South Carolinians who survived the Holocaust and those who liberated the concentration camps or witnessed the atrocities that took place. 

The Holocaust Forum was a collaboration between the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust, ETV, and the South Carolina Department of Education.

 

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE AREAS EACH TIME YOU VISIT KNOWITALL.ORG!

If we were able to spark your curiosity with the resources listed above, please visit these additional areas on KnowItAll.org!

Knowitall.org features over 9,000 mobile-friendly videos, worksheets, and interactives for preK-12. Now you can drill down to the specific Topics and Subtopics you’re interested in.

Find topical content and lessons grouped together for your convenience. These are available all year long for your planning purposes.

Lesson plans for teachers that meet South Carolina standards.

Be sure to review our KnowItAll blogs! They provide links to recommended resources each month. You may be surprised by all the topics you'll find!

From the top of the home page, click on the magnifying glass, and when the search box opens, click on the magnifying glass again, and the results will come up, showing all of the assets available on KnowItAll.org. The newest content will appear at the top of the results. Just scroll down to view all of the content that is new to you! Visit often, so you won’t miss a thing!

We welcome your questions and comments! We would love to hear from you!

 

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