Overview

From 1934 until her death in 1992, Modjeska Monteith Simkins’ home in History of the Site Columbia served as a central site for civil rights and social justice activi- The house, one parcel south of the northwest corner of ties. Elmwood and Marion streets, was built sometime between 1890 and 1895 according to existing maps. The In 2017, Historic Columbia received a National Parks architecture of this one-story Columbia Cottage suggests Service grant to further rehabilitate the Modjeska it was built during the late 19th century; however, the Monteith Simkins Site to better continue the legacy of our state’s fiercest civil rights activist. By using architect and builder are unknown. her life as a lens through which we view historical inequality, the role of organizing and the power of Historic Columbia took over the stewardship of the site in protest, the home of Modjeska Simkins will once 2006 and, until September 2018, utilized the home for again become a center of engagement and action for educational tours and public meeting space. It is now the community. undergoing a rehabilitaion and will reopen in 2019. The Life of Modjeska Simkins

Modjeska Monteith Simkins, a prominent human rights advocate, was born in Columbia, S.C. in 1899 to Henry and Rachel Hull Monteith. Although her activism extends across more than seven decades and numerous causes, she is best remembered for her leadership during the early in South Carolina.

Simkins’ experiences as a teacher at the segregated Booker T. Washington High School and as the Director of Negro Work for the South Carolina Tuberculosis Association (SCTA) in the 1920s and 1930s positioned her as an authority on the issues African Americans faced in South Carolina—namely discrimination in the form of unequal and even denied access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities and the ballot.

By 1941, Simkins assumed the position of secretary of the South Carolina NAACP State Conference of Branches, an organization that was formed two years earlier when representatives from the state’s seven local branches met to coordinate their eorts. Simkins also convinced publisher John H. McCray to relocate his Charleston Lighthouse newspaper to Columbia, a move she and her husband Andrew Simkins helped finance. After merging with the Peoples Informer of Sumter, the Lighthouse and Informer gave voice to the growing Civil Rights movement across the state.

During the 1940s and early 1950s, Simkins, McCray and other activists used the backing of the NAACP to challenge South Carolina’s continued flouting of established law. Key cases included the fight for equal pay for black teachers (Duval v. Seigneus and Thompson v. Gibbes et al.), the fight to end the all-white Democratic primary in South Carolina (Elmore v. Rice), and the fight to end segregation in public schools (Briggs v. Elliott) with Simkins and Rev. Joseph Delaine co-authoring the original petition for the latter.

2018-19 Historic Columbia Annual Fund

"I woke up this morning with my mind set on freedom." — Modjeska Monteith Simkins

Each year, Historic Columbia’s Annual Fund program supports a meaningful project that will have lasting impact on our community. This year’s Annual Fund will focus on interpretative and educational upgrades at the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House. Donate Today Visit HistoricColumbia.org/AnnualFund

Visit HistoricColumbia.org to learn more.