A traveling exhibition that tells the story of South Carolina’s essential role in the American Civil Rights Movement is on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park center through August 21.
Organized by the University of South Carolina’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research, the “Justice for All” exhibit uses oral history recordings, news film footage, photographs, postcards, newspapers and letters to highlight overlooked chapters in the history of the movement. The exhibition is open seven days a week, whenever the MLK Park center is open, Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday, 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, 2-7 p.m. Admission is free.
“Students and visitors to the exhibit will learn about individuals and institutions who struggled for and demanded racial justice in South Carolina and across the country,” said Dr. Bobby Donaldson, professor of history and the Executive Director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
“The materials cover a broad time span, from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and will allow visitors to see firsthand the struggles of those who pushed for equal rights and the efforts of those who worked to curtail them.”
The “Justice for All” traveling exhibition was designed with groups and students in mind. Traveling trunks with materials and lesson plans for students are available. Groups may request a guided tour or a traveling trunk by emailing the Center, [email protected].
Visitors will see interpretive panels that tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement, beginning in Reconstruction and continuing through the 1960s, items from collections housed in University Libraries, footage from Moving Image Research Collections, and numerous photographs and documents from South Carolina Political Collections, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, and the South Caroliniana Library.
“It is valuable that this history is being displayed in our beloved community of Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. This valuable history highlights not only the history, but also the accomplishment of African-Americans in this city and the state of South Carolina. This exhibit will, give the members of our community an opportunity to not only see the visual history, but also an opportunity to talk through it. I understand that some will say there is no future in history, but I disagree with that because I think there is, and the exhibit for this community will be exceptionally phenomenal.” District II Councilman Edward McDowell, Jr.
In addition to presenting the traveling exhibition, the Civil Rights Center is seeking participants for oral history interviews about their experiences during the Civil Rights Movement in or near Columbia. To schedule an oral history interview, please email the Center, [email protected].
“Justice for All” is based on the 2019 archival exhibition that the Center created collaboratively with South Carolina Humanities, University of South Carolina Libraries and the College of Arts and Sciences. The traveling version was created with funding from the Williams Company as part of a $1.5 million gift, and by South Carolina Humanities and Central Carolina Community Foundation. “Justice for All” will be on exhibit at other sites throughout South Carolina through December 2023.