Photographer Cecil Williams’ vision gives South Carolina its only civil rights museum

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Photographer Cecil Williams has played a pivotal role in capturing South Carolina’s civil rights history through his lens. His extensive collection of photographs, numbering in the millions, is currently undergoing the process of digitization and categorization. Williams has long harbored the dream of establishing a civil rights museum that commemorates the struggles of Black Americans against segregation and discrimination within the state.

Williams, who recently celebrated his 85th birthday, believes in the profound storytelling power of images. He emphasizes that the fight for the rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution is a compelling narrative that deserves to be preserved.

While Williams’ photographs and personal journey will be remembered, there is a growing concern among preservationists and historians. As individuals who lived through the civil rights era pass away, valuable artifacts such as letters, photographs, and mementos of the struggle are at risk of being discarded, potentially resulting in the loss of significant African American history.

Williams encourages young people to recognize the everyday superheroes in their communities who fought against injustice. His own journey as a photographer began at the age of nine when he received his first camera. His early work captured a historic moment when he photographed civil rights attorney and later Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall arriving to work on a segregation case.

Williams’ portfolio expanded over the years to encompass pivotal events such as the Charleston hospital workers strike, U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond’s final campaign, and the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse dome.

In 2019, recognizing the absence of a civil rights museum in South Carolina, Williams transformed his old residence in Orangeburg into the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum. He personally curated exhibitions and divided the rooms to showcase the struggle for civil rights. Despite minimal marketing efforts, the museum has welcomed 25,000 visitors.

The museum features not only Williams’ photographs but also significant artifacts, including a bowling pin and shotgun shells from the All-Star Bowling Lanes, where 1968 desegregation protests turned tragic in the Orangeburg Massacre. Of particular importance is the section dedicated to Briggs v. Elliott, the South Carolina case that laid the groundwork for the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legal segregation.

Williams also displays Reverend Joseph DeLaine’s Bible, a key figure in the Briggs case, along with DeLaine’s firearm used for protection against racists who threatened his family.

Williams is currently engaged in a campaign to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to officially rename the Brown case as the Briggs case in its records. He believes that this change would recognize South Carolina’s role in ending segregation.

While Claflin University is working to scan and catalog Williams’ negatives, historians worry that valuable historical materials are at risk of being lost as the generation that fought for civil rights passes away. Historians like Brent Leggs emphasize the importance of preserving letters, posters, recordings, and other artifacts that provide insight into the civil rights movement.

In the near future, Williams hopes to relocate his museum to a larger building in downtown Orangeburg, thanks to a $23 million federal grant. This move is part of a broader initiative to revitalize Railroad Corner and honor the rich African American heritage of the city.

Williams acknowledges that most of the funding for these efforts comes from federal and local sources and reflects on South Carolina’s historical reluctance to acknowledge its racial history. Nevertheless, through his museum and his photography, Williams has ensured that this hidden history is brought to light and remembered for generations to come.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Civil Rights Museum

More about Civil Rights Museum

• Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum
• Briggs v. Elliott
• Orangeburg Massacre
• Brown v. Board of Education
• Claflin University
• African American Cultural Action Heritage Fund
• Rev. Joseph DeLaine
• South Carolina’s Civil Rights History