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Start planning your ultimate South Carolina adventure with a free copy of the 2025 Vacation Guide. Request your free copy, view the guide online or download a PDF version below.

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Civil Rights

As in most Southern states, the path to social justice and equality in South Carolina was fraught with struggles to overcome segregation, Jim Crow laws, voter discrimination and violence.

Benjamin Mays House and Museum, Greenwood

Civil Rights History in South Carolina

Gain a deeper understanding of the civil rights movement in South Carolina as you hear stories from the people who were there and explore the sites and landmarks where history was made.

A Legacy of Courage

Discover the stories of the brave men and women who fought against inequality on the new podcast, “A Legacy of Courage,” now available on all major networks.

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Episode 1: Precursor to the Movement

From the Civil War to Jim Crow, learn about the events that set the stage for the civil rights movement in South Carolina.

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Episode 2: Separate is Not Equal

Discover the everyday acts of courage that paved the way for pivotal litigation in the fight for civil rights in South Carolina.

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Episode 3: March for Equality

Dismissed as troublemakers and instigators, college students staged peaceful marches and protests that often ended with arrests and violence.

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Charleston Hospital Workers Strike

Charleston Hospital Workers Strike for Fair Wages

In the summer of 1969, Charleston hospital workers protested for fair wages and working conditions for African American employees.

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civil rights monument

Commemorating South Carolina's Civil Rights History

Honor the brave men and women who fought against inequality and helped spark the civil rights movement in South Carolina.

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children boarding a bus, black and white photo

Segregated Schools: Separate Is Not Equal

In 1950, Clarendon County's Briggs vs. Elliott was the first case in the 20th century to challenge the constitutionality of racially segregated schools.

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Freedom Now: Key Sites in the Fight for Civil Rights

From Rock Hill’s “Jail, No Bail” protest to Charleston’s Mother Emanuel Church, explore South Carolina sites that tell the story of the civil rights movement.

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Before Rosa Parks, There was Sara Mae Flemming

Almost 17 months before Rosa Parks’ defiance sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, Sara Mae Flemming made national headlines as a civil rights beacon.

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A Trip Back in Time: Mosquito Beach

As one of only six “Black beaches” in the Charleston area during Jim Crow, Mosquito Beach became known as a safe haven for the African American community.

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SC HBCU Students Fight for Civil Rights in the 1960s

During the civil rights movement, students from seven historically Black colleges and universities in South Carolina sought social change through peaceful marches and sit-ins.

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aerial view of college

The Road to Higher Education

Discover the history and impact of South Carolina’s HBCUs—institutions that opened doors for freedmen, advanced civil rights and continue to strengthen Black communities today.

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hand holding photo with Green Book of SC

Celebrate Black History with The Green Book of South Carolina

Discover African American cultural sites across the Palmetto State with The Green Book of South Carolina! This mobile travel guide features details and directions to more than 300 cultural sites found throughout the Palmetto State.

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Journey to Freedom

Discover significant South Carolina sites along the United States Civil Rights Trail.

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