9 Facts You Should Know about Local Hero, Septima P. Clark

Posted on by Ashleigh H.

“I believe unconditionally in the ability of people to respond when they are told the truth. We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm.”- Septima P. Clark
  1. She is a Charleston native

Septima P. Clark was born May 3, 1898 on Wentworth St. in the historic Downtown Charleston district. Born to a former slave and Haitian laundress, her parents strived to provide a strong foundation of learning for young Septima.

  1. Septima was a devoted educator

Clark earned her teaching license at the age of 18 instructing black children in John’s Island and downtown at the Avery Normal Institute (now the College of Charleston Avery Research Center). Additionally, she taught black Charleston locals how to read and write in order for them to vote by using Sears catalogs and household items to instruct her students. Septima continued her education and earned her bachelor’s degree from Benedict College (1942) and her master’s from Hampton Institute (1946).

  1. She was an activist for black teacher pay and teacher desegregation in Charleston schools

In 1956, Clark worked closely with the Charleston Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight for black teachers rights to equal pay and be allowed to work in South Carolina public schools. Although her efforts were successful that year, her teaching license was revoked due to her affiliation with the NAACP. Since she could no longer teach in SC, Clark moved to Tennessee and worked for the Highlander Folk School. She helped improve students’ literacy skills and led workshops in social justice/political engagement – Rosa Parks attended one of these sessions before being at the forefront of the Montgomery bus boycott.

  1. Clark was a key figure of the Civil Rights Movement

In 1961, Clark went on to work for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Ga. She was appointed as the director of teaching and education over its Citizen Education Program. Septima hosted workshops to prepare black Americans for protests and the polls. She believed that education was important for African Americans to progress forward in society. In this position, she played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and was coined the “Mother of The Movement” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  1. She holds many accolades and awards

Clark moved back to Charleston and was elected to the Charleston School Board in 1975 and had her teacher’s pension reinstated after her wrongful termination decades earlier. The College of Charleston awarded Septima Clark with an honorary degree and received the Living Legacy Award under President Carter the following year for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1982, she earned the highest SC civilian award, Order of the Palmetto.

  1. Septima Clark is a published author

Septima Clark wrote two memoirs, Echo in My Soul (1962) and Ready from Within (1986) to highlight her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and her platform of literacy, education, and political participation among African Americans. In 1987, her second book received the American Book Award.

  1. She has a school dedicated to her educational mission in Charleston

Clark’s legacy continues through the installment of Septima P. Clark Corporate Academy in 1990 which is an educational program that assists at-risk high school students in receiving their high school diploma.

  1. Clark’s life will soon appear on stage

Check out the upcoming play, SEPTIMA, commissioned by PURE Theatre and the League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area to learn more about Septima Clark’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. The play will run from March 9th to April 1st at the PURE Theatre in Downtown Charleston.

  1. The College will be celebrating the work of Septima Clark in new exhibition

The newly installed Septima P. Clark Memorial Auditorium will be hosting an exhibition in Clark’s honor Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 5:00pm. It will be held in the Thaddeus Street Jr. Education Center at the College of Charleston. To learn more about local hero Sepitma Clark and her impact in the Charleston community, check out The College’s exhibition website. https://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/septima_clark

Ancestral Visions: Honoring the Past, Navigating the Future. A Conversation in Memory of Dr. Ade Ofunnyin and Mr. Leroy Lewis on November 3rd at 7pm via Zoom

Posted on by anhaykal

This event is hosted by the College of Charleston, the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture and the International African American Museum and the Anson Street African Burial Ground project team.

Students, friends and colleagues will have an opportunity to share their memories of these two passionate community activists and join a conversation about the ways that we can continue to honor them both, now as Ancestors.

Register

Sistahs in Indigo: A Conversation with Arianne King Comer and Ifé Franklin

Posted on by anhaykal

The African American Studies Program at the College of Charleston, in conjunction with Avery Research Center and the Gibbes Museum of Art, will host their annual artists’ lecture event: Sistahs in Indigo: A Conversation with Arianne King Comer and Ifé Franklin.

Join us for an insightful conversation between two indigo-making artists about the ancestral craft of indigo-dying and its connection to the Lowcountry. Arianne King Comer is Artist-in-Residence at the Gibbs Museum and will be joined in conversation by fellow artist and master dyer, Ifé Franklin. Erica Veal, Project Archivist and Interpretation Specialist at Avery Research Center, will moderate the conversation.

The virtual event will take place on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 11am EST. You will not need to register to attend the event; we will stream the event on the Avery Research Center’s Youtube page (https://tinyurl.com/IndigoSistahs).

Check out the Avery Research Center’s Virtual Black History Program!

Posted on by anhaykal
More often than not the celebration of black strength, tenacity, and innovation is limited to the month of February. This lack of continuous acknowledgement of the culture that defines Charleston can be extremely detrimental, especially for native children. We Celebrate Year Round is an interactive, thought provoking, and inspiring virtual black history program created to spark meaningful conversation, engage students grades K-12, while reiterating the importance of black influence on the world as we know it. Produced by Eye of Elohim Videography We Celebrate Year Round carefully configures local artisans, creatives, historians, and storytellers alike to seamlessly express the importance of not only our local history, but how we continuously enhance the world as we know it. With special guest Minerva King, Amethyst Ganaway, Geechee Experience, CofC Gospel Choir, Chef Wibi, and Avery Staff viewers will be able to not only celebrate during the anniversary, but obtain knowledge to continue the conversations year round. We Celebrate Year Round will be available to view on February 26, 2021 at 12:00 pm on all Avery streaming platforms.

February 13th Branch Event: Preserving the Black Family through Records

Posted on by anhaykal

Join the archival staff at the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture for a discussion on the role of archivists and archives in preserving family histories

When: Saturday, February 13, 2021 via Zoom

Time: 1:00 p.m. EST

Sponsored by the Charleston Area Branch of ASALH and the Charleston Freedom School

Event is free and open to the public

Register

Please use the form below to register for the event or click the link here

Register on Eventbrite

Charleston Area Branch of ASALH February 2021 Events

Posted on by anhaykal

PROGRAM 1: PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING 2020 BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME; “THE BLACK FAMILY”

DATE: February 1, 2021 (Zoom), Registration will be available in January 2021

TIME: 12:00 p.m.

SPEAKER: Julie Monroe, President of Charleston Area Branch of ASALH

SPONSOR: Charleston Area Branch of ASALH

DESCRIPTION: This event is designed to promote the celebration of Black History Month and the year-long activity of the branch focused on theme “The Black Family.”

PROGRAM 2: “THE BLACK FAMILY: FINDING AND TELLING YOUR FAMILY STORY”

DATE: February 13, 2021 (Zoom), Registration will be available in January 2021

Time: 1:00 p.m.

SPONSORS: Charleston Area Branch of ASALH, The Avery Research Center, Charleston Freedom School

DESCRIPTION: This event is the first in a year-long series of activities to encourage and promote the research, preservation, and sharing of the histories of Black families. The Avery Research Center will present approaches that we can use to construct historical narratives that reveal the identity and diversity of our families. Participants will also learn how to utilize the resources of the Avery Research Center in researching and preserving their family stories.