Briggs v. Elliot | The World of Cecil

This segment explores the early 1950s and the significant role South Carolina, particularly Clarendon County, played in the civil rights movement. It discusses Thurgood Marshall's arrival in South Carolina during this period and emphasizes the iconic image captured by a young student named Cecil Williams in Charleston, linking the state to the national civil rights movement. The video sheds light on the Briggs v. Elliott case, the first in history to challenge segregation in public education, underlining the pivotal roles played by individuals like Reverend Joseph DeLaine, Levi Pearson, and Harry Briggs, who courageously signed the petition to contest school segregation despite facing violence and retaliation. Modjeska Simkins, secretary of the state NAACP, led relief efforts to support them. Overall, the video underscores Clarendon County's historical significance in the civil rights movement and the importance of documenting this history, a task accomplished by Cecil Williams through his photographs.