Explore people, places and moments that have shaped Columbia and Richland County
COLUMBIA, S.C., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 – During the month of February, join Historic Columbia in honoring Black History Month and learn about important local African American people, places and moments in Columbia and Richland County’s history. Attend a variety programs throughout the month, tour the Mann-Simons Site and the Woodrow Wilson Family Home and become a volunteer at the newly interpreted Mann-Simons Site.
“Columbia has rich African American history, and we invite the community to join us throughout the month to learn how that history has and continues to shape our city,” said Robin Waites, Historic Columbia’s executive director. “The programs and tours will explore individuals from Celia Mann to Modjeska Monteith Simkins, to pivotal time periods, from antebellum Columbia, the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement, to the important places such as the Historic Waverly Neighborhood, Columbia’s first suburb established shortly after the Civil War.”
PROGRAM CALENDAR:
The Art and Politics of Monuments: Revisiting the SC Statehouse Grounds
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 6 – 7:30 p.m.| Seibels House, 1601 Richland St.
Join Historic Columbia and the University of South Carolina at a panel discussion featuring Dell Upton, Ph.D., professor of architectural history, UCLA and author of the recently-published What Can and Can’t be Said: Race, Uplift and Monument Building in the Contemporary South. Additional panelists include Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter, District 66, Orangeburg and Todd Shaw, Ph.D. associate professor and interim chair, Department of Political Science, USC. Thomas Brown, Ph.D., professor of history, USC will open the program with commentary on the memorials and monuments on the grounds of the SC Statehouse then moderate the panel discussion. This lecture is free and open to the public; however, space is limited so please RSVP to [email protected]. Visit historiccolumbia.org to learn more.
Second Sunday Roll | Homeplaces, Workplaces, Resting Places: An African American Heritage Sites Tour
Sunday, Feb. 12 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Tour begins at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills
Explore important local African American sites with Historic Columbia on Sunday, Feb. 12 during the monthly Second Sunday Roll presented by Seed Architecture, LLC. From the newly interpreted Mann-Simons Site, to the North Carolina Mutual Building, this tour explores houses, businesses and other important African American sites. Largely comprised of sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this tour features locations that illustrate important events and little-known facts about Columbia’s African American community. Second Sunday Roll is $8/adult and $4/youth for members and $12/adult and $6/youth for non-members. Space is limited. To purchase tickets, visit historiccolumbia.org, email [email protected] or call 803-252-1770 x 23.
Mann-Simons Site Volunteer Training
Monday, Feb. 13, Saturday, Feb. 18 and Monday, Feb. 27 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Historic Columbia invites the public to help share the history of the Mann-Simons family and become a volunteer tour guide of the newly interpreted site. Interested volunteers will need to participate in one of the following all-day training sessions: Monday, Feb. 13, Saturday, Feb. 18 and Monday, Feb. 27. These training sessions will consist of the following: a sample tour of the site, an overview of the family, history of the site, broad topics related to the site- Slavery, Jim Crow, Civil Rights and Urban Renewal, and a day in the life of a volunteer, which will cover logistics of giving tours and other opportunities at the site. Light refreshments will be available. Volunteer training is free. For more information, please call 803.252.1770 x24, email [email protected] or visit historiccolumbia.org.
Lunch & Learn Series | Honoring Black History Month
Feb. 14, 21 and 28 | 12 – 1 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Historic Columbia’s Lunch & Learn series returns for a three-part installment that will honor Black History Month and will explore important African American people, places and moments in history. The sessions will take place from noon – 1 p.m. on Feb. 14. 21 and 28 at the Mann-Simons Site located at 1403 Richland St.
Tuesday, Feb. 14 | noon – 1 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Presenter: John Sherrer, director of cultural resources, Historic Columbia
Overview: Explore the lives of free people of color living and working in Columbia before and during the Civil War.
Tuesday, Feb. 21 | noon – 1 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Presenter: Rochelle Outlaw, J.D., Ph.D. Candidate, USC
Overview: Learn about the common-law definition of race and how it related to social and political thought on race in antebellum South Carolina.
- Modjeska Simkins and the Fight for Educational Equality
Tuesday, Feb. 28 | noon – 1 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Presenter: Candace Cunningham, Ph.D. Candidate and history professor, USC
Overview: Learn how Modjeska Simkins, South Carolina’s matriarch of human rights, worked with NAACP leaders, teachers and ordinary people to ensure equal pay for black teachers and better education opportunities for black children.
Bring your lunch as we munch our way into the past. Walk-ins will be accepted as space allows but reservations are recommended. Tickets to attend the entire three-part series are $25 for members and college students and $30 for non-members. Admission for individual sessions are also available for $10 for members and college students and $12 for non-members. Advance reservation is encouraged and space is limited. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit historiccolumbia.org, email [email protected] or call 803-252-1770 x 23.
Dollar Sunday | Mann-Simons Site
Sunday, Feb. 19 | 1-4 p.m. | 1403 Richland Street
The third Sunday of the month, residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to tour of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for just $1 on Dollar Sunday! On Sunday, Feb.19, visit the new exhibits at the Mann-Simons Site, the home to the same African-American family for nearly 130 years. Throughout the day, Historic Columbia will showcase artifacts that are not normally on display and will present a variety of hands-on children’s activities, including archeological dig boxes. The house will be open for guests to tour at their own pace, and guides will be available to answer any questions. Tickets can be purchased at the Mann-Simons Site located at 1403 Richland Street. General admission prices apply to all other properties.
ONGOING TOURS:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday: 1 and 4 p.m.
Tickets purchased at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills | 1616 Blanding Street
Discover the role race has played in shaping the capital city at the newly interpreted Mann-Simons Site, the home to the same African-American family for nearly 130 years. Tours are free for members, $8 for adults, $5 youth (ages 6-17) and free for children under 5. Tickets can be purchased at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills House, located at 1616 Blanding Street. All tours begin at the Gift Shop. For a more detailed tour schedule, visit historiccolumbia.org.
Tuesday – Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Sunday: 2:30 p.m.
Tickets purchased at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills | 1616 Blanding Street
Explore the roles that African Americans played during Reconstruction at South Carolina’s only presidential site, the Woodrow Wilson Family Home. Tours are free for members, $8 for adults, $5 youth (ages 6-17) and free for children under 5. Tickets can be purchased at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills House, located at 1616 Blanding Street. All tours begin at the Gift Shop. For a more detailed tour schedule, visit historiccolumbia.org.
Delve into the history of African American buildings and families of Columbia and Richland Country on Historic Columbia’s African American Heritage Sites and Waverly web-based tours. Web-based tours are free and available at historiccolumbia.org.
Black History Month programs are sponsored by McDonald’s® of Columbia, SC, The State Media Company, The Big DM and Hot 103.9/93.9. To learn more, visit HistoricColumbia.org/BlackHistory.
About Historic Columbia:
In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House from demolition officially incorporated as the Historic Columbia Foundation. Over the next five decades the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of seven historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube for more details.
Group of preservatists standing in front of the Mann-Simons Cottage.
