CharlestonCounty.org

National Park Service Civil Rights Grant - Oral History Project

The Charleston County Zoning and Planning Department was awarded an African American Civil Rights Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to fund “A Journey to Equal Education: Stories from Historic African-American Communities,” an oral history project that will share the experiences of students on the cusp of de-segregation of public schools in the 1950s and 1960s. The Department contracted with a cultural resources consultant to carry out the project work, which included interviewing alumni from South Carolina Equalization Schools in Charleston County. The project will focus on conversations with alumni from W. Gresham Meggett High School, an equalization school that was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The project website, interviews, full report, and transcripts are all available at journeytoequaleducation.com.

Click here to read the full report

To find out about the SC Equalization Program, click here.

If you have questions about this project, please contact Niki Grimball at 843-202-7203 or ngrimball@charlestoncounty.org.

Disclaimer: This project is funded by the African American Civil Rights program of the Historic Preservation Fund, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not constitute endorsement or necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior or U.S. Government.

W. Gresham Meggett Oral History Grant Project Timeline

April 2018:
Charleston County Government was awarded an African American Civil Rights Grant.
August 2018:
New South Associates, Inc. was awarded consulting contract to perform the project work conducting and compiling oral histories, researching and producing a report, and preparing a website.
November 2018:
A Kick Off Meeting was held at W. Gresham Meggett School to introduce the project to the community, obtain interested interviewees contact information, and photograph memorabilia.
February 2019:
Heritage Day Celebration was held at W. Gresham Meggett School to begin conducting oral history interviews, photograph memorabilia, talk to community members, while also enjoying live music, entertainment, and refreshments. Professor Candace Cunningham from the University of South Carolina and Dr. Millicent Brown both provided thought-provoking presentations for attendees.
August 2019:
Consultant presented the work completed to date to the Charleston County Historic Preservation Commission and members of the public.
November 2019:
Project Update Public Meeting, conclusion of oral history interviews.
Spring 2020-December 2020:
Consultant work on project deliverables, including transcribing all interviews, producing a project webpage, and preparing a 92-page report.
December 16, 2020:
Final Report and project website were presented at Councilwoman Anna Johnson’s Round Table (virtual) meeting. The meeting was attended by approximately 65 members of the public.
December 31, 2020:
All grant requirements and project deliverables were completed and provided to Charleston County Zoning and Planning Department. Staff will continue to work with the consultant to update the website with photos and memorabilia provided by community members. Click here to view a recording of the meeting and presentation.