George Hopkins was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1947. He is a College of Charleston professor emeritus. This interview focuses on George Hopkins' long commitment to social justice and labor rights in Charleston. Initially, Hopkins' activism was mostly related to the College of Charleston and focused on racial issues and academic freedom. By the end of the seventies, he got involved with Carolina Alliance for Fair Employment (CAFE). Since then, he has been a member and has served as president of the organization. He remembers significant labor-related events such as the closing of the Navy Base in the nineties and the longshoremen protest in January 2000 that ended with the five men known as "The Charleston Five" arrested and charged with felonies. He also reflects on the crucial role the ILA 1422 and CAFE - now Charleston Alliance for Fair Employment - have played for Charleston's intersectional organizing and coalition development. Finally, Hopkins talks about his participation in other social justice endeavors in Charleston, such as the Quality Education Project and the Charleston Area Justice Ministry.
Michael Roberts was one of the first participants of Occupy Charleston in the year 2011. At that time, Roberts had lost his job in the recession and was living with his wife, Kathleen Ellen Roberts, on a sailboat. In the interview, he remembers how Occupy Charleston came to life: a Facebook page, a meeting at Kudu, a coffee shop in downtown Charleston where six people discussed actions, and the first big gathering at the Gage Hall. He describes the occupation at Brittlebank Park and at Marion Square that ended when the Charleston police arrested several activists. After the arrests, he explains, the meetings moved to the ILA Hall and then each group that had converged at Occupy refocused on their own projects. Roberts reflects on Occupy Charleston lessons and contributions to change. In the second part of the interview, Robert’s wife joins the conversation, providing her own insights. At the end, Roberts discusses his military experiences, his current job, and online activism.
Circular Congregation Church senior pastor Jeremy Rutledge was born in Honolulu, HI, in 1971. When he was five years old, his family moved back to Houston, TX. Rutledge attended Bailey University and then Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VI. After graduation, he returned to Houston and worked in chaplaincy for three years and the following ten as the pastor of a progressive church. In 2012, Rutledge moved with his wife and son to Charleston and became the Circular Church pastor. He recalls that by then, Charleston Area Justice Ministry was taking shape, and the country was shocked by the killing of Trayvon Martin. Rutledge talks about CAJM's organizing model, how white and black congregations came together to build power, and the learning curve necessary for local white progressives to demand accountability to public officials. He remembers the criticism that arose when CAJM demanded action from the Charleston School District Superintendent Nancy McGinley and later when asked for a Charleston Police Department and North Charleston Police Department racial bias audit. Finally, he reflects on the meaningful relationships that have been forge over the years among individuals and congregations thanks to the social justice work.
Corey Clayton is a College of Charleston graduate, University of Alabama Birmingham graduate, and a member of Omega PSI Phi Fraternity, Inc., who at the time of the interview worked for Brownstone Construction Group building the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. His interest in engineering goes back to the summers working for his grandfather and his father, both of whom were general contractors. Additionally, he always had an interest in history. When he learned that the International African American Museum was going to be built, he knew he had to be a part of that process and decided to work for Brownstone Construction Group, a Black owned company, as a Quality Control Manager. In the interview, Clayton remembers the college professors that guided him and provided readings that allowed him to understand better his history. Finally, he reflects on the museum's relevance to the region and the deep personal significance of playing a part in its coming to fruition.
One of three scrapbooks compiled by William Henry Johnson containing, among other materials, photographs depicting scenes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, with descriptive notes. Volume 1 includes photographs depicting cemeteries, churches, plantations, historic buildings, ruins, landscapes, and the interiors of buildings. Subjects include locations in Berkeley County, St. Johns (Berkeley) Parish, Goose Creek, and along the Cooper River. Other sites and subjects include Belmont, Black Oak Church, Bluford, Casada, Cedar Grove, Cedar Spring, Comingtee, a Prioleau family burial ground, Crowfield, Dean Hall Plantation, Dockon Plantation, Eutaw, Eutaw Springs, Exeter, Fairspring, Fort Dorchester, Four Hole Swamp, Gippy, Gravel Hill, the gravestone of Susan Bee, Hanover Plantation, Indian Fields Campground, Ingleside, Indianfield, Liberty Hall Club, Lewisfield, Magnolia Cemetery, monument of Col. Hezekiah Maham, grave of Major Majoribanks, Medway Plantation, Mepkin, a milestone by the Cooper River, Moorfield, Mount Pleasant Plantation, Mulberry Castle, North Hampton, Numertia, The Oaks Plantation, Ophir, Otranto Hunting Club, Parnassus, Pimlico, Pinegrove, Pond Bluff, Pooshee Plantation, John Poppenheim's plantation, Quarter house, Red Bank Hunting Club, an Episcopal church in Pineville, Rice Hope Plantation, The Rocks, St. James Goose Creek church, St. Johns Berkeley rectory site, St. Johns AME Church, a St. Julien family house, a Santee Canal lock, "Sarrazin house," a shanty, Somerset Plantation, Somerton Plantation, "Francis Marion spring," Springfield, Stoney Landing, Strawberry Chapel, Ten Mile Hill, Thoroughgood, Wadboo Barony, Wadboo bridge, Walnut Grove, Walworth, Wampee, Wampoolah, Wappetaw, Washington Plantation, the Whaley place, White Hall, Wiskinboo, Woodlawn, and Yeamans Hall.
Correspondence from B. L. Hilton, Manager of Materials and Services Department for Upstream and Affiliate Purchasing for Exxon Company, USA, to Dwight James, Charleston Branch of the NAACP, regarding minority business programs. Enclosed document, "1991 Submission to the National Minority Supplier Development Council for the Corporation of the Year Award."
Charleston Branch of the NAACP memorandum from Dwight C. James and Rodney Williams to Brenda Murphy regarding a quarterly meeting with the Charleston Veterans Administration Medical Center. Enclosed summary of what was discussed during the meeting.
Letter from Isadore E. Lourie, South Carolina Senator, encouraging Septima P. Clark that the Democratic Administration, including President-elect Carter and Mrs. Carter, is attuned to the needs of older citizens.
