The Center for Creative Partnerships will conduct an oral history project about the Orangeburg Massacre that will include public programs and a digital archive. A series of Community Meetings will take place in September and October to connect with Orangeburg residents who were directly or indirectly impacted. Ultimately, oral histories will be collected and curated into a digital archive which will preserve and make the stories available to the world. SC Humanities supported this project with a Major Grant.
The “Preserving History” project focuses on research into the Orangeburg Massacre, its causes, aftermath and documentation through oral histories of those who were directly or indirectly affected. Three community meetings will take place in September and October to provide input into additional interviewees, valuable information and an understanding of its long-time impact on the past, present and future Orangeburg community.
Ellen Zisholtz, Executive Director of the Center for Creative Partnerships said, “Input from the community is essential! Reconciliation cannot take place without ongoing humanities centered collaboration that will include diverse community discussions.”
The upcoming community meetings are:
Thursday, September 26, 2024 | 11:00 a.m.
Location: Orangeburg County Council on the Aging, Senior Center Lunch Room, 2570 St Matthews Rd NE, Orangeburg, SC 29118
Thursday, October 3, 2024 | 5:00 p.m.
Location: Orangeburg Chamber of Commerce, 155 Riverside Dr SW, Orangeburg, SC 29115
Monday, October 21, 2024 | 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. (come any time)
Location: Orangeburg County Library, 1645 Russell St, Orangeburg, SC 29115
The community meetings are the first step of a longer process that will result in oral histories and digitized archives. The oral histories will be produced by filmmaker Kristy Andersen, known for her Emmy award winning film, Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun.
The Center for Creative Partnerships (CCP) is integral to the redevelopment of the City of Orangeburg, focusing on history, civil rights, the arts and community and is part of the Development Team chosen by the City to re-envision Railroad Corner, the historic black business district across from two historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) to include a Civil Rights Museum. CCP has secured ownership of All Star Bowling Lanes and is preserving this important African American Heritage Site, as a community asset and a state of the arts Bowling Center, creating the first Civil Rights Bowling Lanes/Justice Center, on the national African American Civil Rights Network. Learn more: https://www.centerforcreativepartnerships.org/.
For more information about the “Preserving History: The Orangeburg Massacre” program or the upcoming community meetings, please contact Ellen Zisholtz, (803) 928 -6851 or centerforcreativepartnerships@gmail.com.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
