Eyewitness to the Movement: Cecil Williams SC Civil Rights Museum
The Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum provides a distinctive view of the movement -- through his camera lens.
By Jannie Harriot and Cecil Williams, Civil Rights Museum
April 2, 2024
The Featured Projects series focuses on African American historic preservation projects and sites. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of places in South Carolina that share this rich history. We also hope it highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations to participate in preservation.
How did the museum develop? How does the museum play a role in African American historic preservation?
Until the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum was developed, there was no museum in the state that told the stories of the people who actually started the national civil rights movement. Inside our galleries, visitors may journey through the unique and rich history of South Carolinians who experienced the hardships and triumphs, valor and determination, and the influence and monumental change that affected all Americans. The reclaimed history displayed in the museum represents core events that created the “big bang” of the national civil rights movement.WeGOJA and the Toolkit team feel it is important to include museums as part of African American preservation efforts. Museums are part of the broader picture of African American historic preservation because they are a place to preserve the objects, artifacts, and media that tell the story of Black people and culture. These things are an important part of the fabric of preservation that extends beyond physical structures or sites.
What motivated you to develop the museum?
Having first-hand eyewitness experiences, I was compelled to share the rich and diverse history of people who endured the 1950-1970 era of racial change.Within the museum, we compiled the history that shows how South Carolinians’ early activism influenced our nation through numerous ideological, political, and economic developments—much of which pre-date the bravery and pioneering by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and the people who engaged in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. South Carolina’s role in the Civil Rights movement is an undertold story, despite South Carolinians paving the way in Civil Rights activism (such as the Briggs vs. Elliot case, which was the first court case to challenge the constitutionality of segregated education and later became part of the landmark desegregation case Brown vs. Board of Education.) The story of Civil Rights in South Carolina needed to be told by those who experienced and fought for it. The museum provides an opportunity to showcase the photography and media that influenced and changed the course of the Civil Rights movement, while also preserving it for generations to come.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
Besides our own archives, through inclusion and sharing, we discovered vast amounts of rare and story-telling artifacts, documents and photographs.I would advise anyone taking on the task of operating or starting a museum to fully explore if it duplicates the mission of already existing museums.If there is a void, then fully engage in the project until it reaches fruition.
Future plans for the museum? Also include how people can find the museum and plan visits today.
Our future involves building and creating story-telling galleries and exhibits that will go into a new and larger building we hope to break ground for in June. Our present museum is located at 1865 Lake Drive, a subdivision right off U.S. Highway 301 north of Orangeburg. We advise visitors traveling along Interstate 26 to take exit 156, which would place them within four miles of our location.
Any additional information?
Visit the museum virtually by clicking this link! This will allow you to experience the museum through a virtual reality tour, taking a closer look at the exhibits, photography, and artifacts.
