History Makers
The Pee Dee region of South Carolina is steeped in African American history, with a legacy of trailblazers who have shaped not only the local community but also the broader history of the state and nation. From civil rights leaders and educators to artists and business pioneers, African American history makers from the Pee Dee have left an indelible mark on society.
During the Civil Rights Movement, figures like Dr. William Holland and other local leaders worked tirelessly to challenge segregation and fight for equal rights. Their efforts laid the foundation for social and political change in the region, helping to dismantle barriers that had long restricted African Americans’ access to education, voting, and public services.
In the field of education, African American history makers such as Dr. Thelma Brown have dedicated their lives to fostering opportunities for Black students, ensuring that future generations can thrive in an environment of equality and empowerment. These leaders helped establish institutions and programs that continue to benefit the community today.
The Pee Dee has also been home to cultural innovators, such as visual artists William H. Johnson and physicist/astronaut Ron McNair, who have used their work to tell the story of African American life in the South. Their contributions to the arts, science, and education highlight the creativity and resilience that define the African American experience in the Pee Dee.
These history makers are a testament to the strength, determination, and spirit of the African American community in the Pee Dee region. Their legacies continue to inspire future generations, offering a blueprint for leadership, activism, and artistic expression that is rooted in the history of the region.
Reverend I. DeQuincy Newman
Newman was the first African American elected to SC Senate since Reconstruction (1887).
Allie Brooks, PhD
Dr. Allie Brooks served more than 35 years in Florence area public schools as a teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools through 2005. He retired, and later returned to serve as superintendent 2010-14.
Louis George Gregory, Esq.
Descendant of formerly enslaved and white slave owners, established a law practice in DC, in 1909, he became one of the first followers of Baha’i Faith in the US, spoke across the US of race amity for 15 years. Biography: To Move the World.
Sherman James
Sherman James is a social epidemiologist who studies how social factors contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. Dr. James received numerous accolades for his contributions to the field of public health, including being named a Mahatma Gandhi Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.
Annie Greene Nelson
Annie Freene Nelson is the first known published African American writer in SC. Born in 1902, she published After the Storm in 1945. Several of her books and plays depict the lifestyles of average African Americans. She studied drama at USC at the age of 80.
Brandolyn Thomas Pinkston
Brandolyn Thomas Pinkston is a visionary. She was administrator of the SC Dept of Consumer Affairs, pushing legislation against predatory lending and mortgage fraud. She was inducted into SC Black Hall of Fame.
Arthur Stanley
Arthur Stanley led the effort to desegregate public schools in Darlington County with the case Stanley v. Darlington County School District, filed in 1964. Stanley pushed for desegregation which occurred after a federal court order in 1970. He was the first Black person elected to Darlington City Council in 1968 after challenging polling practices.
Armstrong Williams
Armstrong Williams is a syndicated columnist, hosting “The Right Side” TV show. He is a recognized conservative voice, author of several books including Letters to a Young Victim, What Black and White America Must Do Now, and Crisis in the Classroom. Williams served under President GW Bush on the President’s Commission on White House Fellows.
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
Born in 1875 to previously enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune served as an advisor on racial affairs to Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. In 1934, she became Director of the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration. In 1937, she founded the National Council for Negro Women. Mary McLeod Bethune Park is located in Lee County.
US Representative James E. Clyburn
Congressman James Clyburn represents a portion of the Pee Dee region. In the US House of Representatives, he rose to elected position of Majority Whip, the highest rank ever attained by an African American in Congress.
James Hall
James Hall was an advocate for civil rights and the voiceless. He organized the first march on Greenville Municipal Airport in 1960 when a group including Jackie Robinson was asked to move to the colored section. Hall also served as president of Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity).
Jonas Thomas Kennedy
Jonas Thomas Kennedy taught farming techniques farming in Africa. He later established the Africa University in Zimbabwe. He supported Claflin College, SC State University, and Africa University.
Reverend Isaiah DeQuincey Newman
Newman was the first African American elected to SC Senate since Reconstruction (1887).
Alfred Rush
Alfred Rush served as an SC Representative for Darlington 1868-1870, and 1874 until his death in 1876, and supported education and taxation. He was killed while watering his horses in Effingham, in what is now Florence County.
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Dr. Henry Tisdale
Dr. Henry Tisdale was the eighth president of Claflin College, raising the ranking to the Top Historically Black College or University by forbes.com.
Stephen J. Wright, Ph.D.
Dr. Wright earned his PhD at New York University in 1943, served as presidential appointee on two white house commissions, and served as an expert witness in seven cases involving desegregation in the South.
Dr. James A. Blake, Sr.
First African American to be appointed to SC State Board of Education (1970s, in the midst of desegregation), served as chair in 1974. Very active in community organizations
Marian Wright Edelman, Esq.
In 1968 Marian Wright Edelman founded the Washington Research Project, which became the Children’s Defense Fund in 1973. The CDF is the nation’s strongest and most effective voice in the areas of teenage pregnancy prevention, child health, education, childcare, child welfare and mental health and employment for young people. She earned her law degree from Yale University in 1963, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize.
Jannie Harriot
Jannie Harriot is a charter member of the SC African American Heritage Foundation, serving more than 30 years with this organization. In 2010, she was listed in SC’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence. Harriot published African American Historic Places in South Carolina, plus a teacher’s guide and arts integration components.
Dr. Ronald E. McNair
Ron McNair was a pioneering astronaut, tragically was killed in the space shuttle Challenger explosion on 1/28/86. He was in the forefront of laser technology used in satellite communications.
Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney
The Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney was a leading member of SC Senate, pastor since age of 18, and the youngest African American elected to SC General Assembly. He was elected as a State Representative at age 23, Senator at 27. Pinckney died in the shooting at AME Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston in 2015. Amazing Grace Park in Marion honors the Reverend Senator and those who perished in the shooting.
Marva Smalls
Marva Smalls was the executive vice president and global head of inclusion at ViacomCBS, Nickelodeon’s parent company. She drove the push for diversity, inclusion, and equity at Nickelodeon.
Taft M. Watson
Taft Watson was SC’s winningest basketball coach, serving at Terrell’s Bay High School in Centenary. He was inducted in the SC Athletic Hall of Fame.