Modjeska School partners with Penn Center and SC Civil Rights Museum to offer remote classes streamed live from Columbia

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Becci

To broaden access to the Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights beyond its home base in Columbia, this semester students can participate from locations in Sumter, Orangeburg, and St. Helena Island, where classes will be streamed live.

“We hope this will become a model for collaborating with allied groups and communities across South Carolina,” said Brett Bursey, executive director of the SC Progressive Network, which launched the school in 2015.

Since the pandemic hit in 2020, the school has offered students the option to attend online, which allows people to participate from wherever they reside — even out of state. This new hybrid option lets students meet as a group at remote sites to view classes together, giving them the shared experience that is central to the program — and to building community that lasts beyond the semester.

“You deepen the experience by sharing the experience,” Bursey said. “The course covers challenging subjects, and it is good to have someone you can process it with after class.”

“It is an honor to partner with such esteemed institutions as the Cecil Williams SC Civil Rights Museum and Penn Center,” Bursey said. The Penn campus has a unique and storied history, beginning in 1862 as a school for freed people and later serving as an organizing hub during the modern civil rights movement, where luminaries such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. met to map strategy.

“Informed citizens, who are the cornerstone of American democracy, are nurtured by the rich intellectual experience and critical thinking skills offered by the Modjeska Simkins School. We are proud to extend the reach of such an important program.”

This is a full-circle moment for the Network, which held its first organizing meeting at Penn in 1996 and has returned there over the years for its statewide conferences.

The simulcast location in Sumter has been coordinated by Network staff member James Felder, who in 1970 was among the first Black legislators elected in South Carolina since Reconstruction.

Noted photographer Cecil Williams will host the Orangeburg group at the SC Civil Rights Museum, which he curates and operates. “The South Carolina civil rights stories are too important to be unheard,” Williams said. “We welcome partnering with the Modjeska School to change all that.”

Dr. Robert Greene II, a professor of history at Claflin University — and president of the national African American Intellectual History Society — has served as the Modjeska School’s lead instructor since 2019. “The school remains a bulwark for truth against disinformation,” Greene said. “At the Modjeska School, we believe in not only learning history for the sake of knowing our past, but learning how to think critically and how to think democratically. Contrary to popular belief, there is a tradition of human rights—exemplified by Modjeska Simkins herself—in South Carolina.”

The curriculum, reflecting the Network’s state-based, nonpartisan strategy, focuses on South Carolina, which continues to play an over-sized role in our nation’s politics. The course material is ever-evolving to include the latest research and historical analyses.

The school welcomes anyone interested in understanding and better navigating our state’s social and political landscape. If you are a lover of history, an activist seeking to be more effective, a retired person wanting to get involved in your community, or a transplant who wants to know the peculiar history of South Carolina, this course is for you.

Whether attending in-person or online, all students have full access to class study guides, special programs, and Sunday Deep Dives.

The spring session begins with orientation on March 1. Classes meet Mondays 6:30–8:30pm through June 23. Students can participate on Zoom or in-person at these locations:

• Columbia at GROW, 1340 Elmwood Ave.

• Sumter at the South Sumter Resource Center, 337 Manning Ave.

• Orangeburg at the South Carolina Civil Rights Museum, 1865 Lake Dr.

• St. Helena at the Penn Center Museum

Tuition is based on a sliding scale, and limited full scholarships are available. For details about the school or to apply, click HERE.

Modjeska Simkins School partners with historic Penn Center for spring session

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Becci

The Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights has opened enrollment for its spring session, marking the school’s 10th year of teaching civics, organizing strategies, and a people’s history of South Carolina to students of all ages and backgrounds. In this age of book bans and challenges to historical narratives, its role is more critical than ever.

The 2025 session runs March 3 – June 23, with classes meeting Monday evenings online and in-person at GROW in Columbia.

This year, the school is partnering with Penn Center in St. Helena, which will be operating a satellite classroom from its campus for students in the area to attend the session live.

“It is an honor to partner with such an historic institution,” said Brett Bursey, executive director of the SC Progressive Network, the nonprofit that launched the school in 2015. “We hope this will become a model for collaborating with allied groups across South Carolina.”

This is a full-circle moment for the Network, which held its first organizing meeting at Penn Center in 1996 and has returned there over the years for its statewide conferences. The campus has a unique and storied history, beginning in 1862 as a school for freed people and later serving as an organizing hub during the modern civil rights movement, where luminaries such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. met to map strategy.

“The Penn Center’s partnership with the Modjeska Simkins School continues Penn’s enduring legacy of providing educational and self-empowerment opportunities for the Carolina Lowcountry,” said Dr. Robert L. Adams, the Center’s executive director. “Informed citizens, who are the cornerstone of American democracy, are nurtured by the rich intellectual experience and critical thinking skills offered by the Modjeska Simkins School. We are proud to extend the reach of such an important program.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Penn Center with SCLC staff in 1966

Bursey said, “We welcome anyone interested in understanding and better navigating our state’s social and political landscape. Whether you are a lover of history, an activist seeking ways to be more effective in your work, a retired person wanting to get involved in your community, or a transplant who wants to know the peculiar history of South Carolina, this course will benefit you.”

Dr. Robert Greene II, a professor of history at Claflin University who has served as the Modjeska School’s lead instructor since 2019, said, “The school remains a bulwark for truth against disinformation. At the Modjeska School, we believe in not only learning history for the sake of knowing our past, but learning how to think critically and how to think democratically. Contrary to popular belief, there is a tradition of human rights—exemplified by Modjeska Simkins herself—in South Carolina.”

Dr. Robert Greene II speaks at a Jan. 25 celebration of the school’s 10th anniversary

The curriculum, reflecting the Network’s state-based strategy, focuses on South Carolina, which continues to play an over-sized role in our nation’s politics. The course material is ever-evolving to include the latest research and historical analyses. There is nothing like it, not just in South Carolina but nationally.

As a service to the larger community, the school also offers Deep Dive programs on Sunday afternoons during the session that are free and open to the public.

The course includes 16 evening classes, Sunday afternoon Deep Dives, and in-depth study guides. Tuition is based on a sliding scale, and limited full scholarships are available.

Classes meet Monday evenings on Zoom and in-person at GROW, 1340 Elmwood Ave. in Columbia.

For details about the school, the 2025 class schedule, or to apply, click HERE.

Here are comments from some of last year’s students.

• Josh Dunn

• Nilanka Seneviratne

• Tayler Simon

Calling all upstarts, activists, and history buffs: enrollment now open for Modjeska Simkins School spring session

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Becci

Want to up your game in 2025? The Modjeska Simkins School is now accepting applications for its spring session, which begins March 3 and runs through the end of June. Classes meet Monday evenings on Zoom and in-person at GROW in Columbia.

The session marks the 10th year that the school has taught civics, organizing strategies, and a people’s history of South Carolina to students of all ages and backgrounds. The school also offers Sunday programs during the session that are free and open to the public.

“We welcome anyone interested in understanding and better navigating our state’s social and political landscape,” said Brett Bursey, executive director of the SC Progressive Network, the nonprofit that started the school in 2015. “Whether you are a lover of history, an activist seeking ways to be more effective in your work, a retired person wanting to get involved in your community, or a transplant who wants to know the peculiar history of South Carolina, this course will benefit you.”

Dr. Robert Greene II, who teaches at Claflin University and has served as the Modjeska Simkins School’s lead instructor since 2019, said, “The Modjeska Simkins School remains a bulwark for truth against disinformation. At the Modjeska School, we believe in not only learning history for the sake of knowing our past, but learning how to think critically and how to think democratically. Contrary to popular belief, there is a tradition of human rights—exemplified by Modjeska Simkins herself—in South Carolina.”

The curriculum, reflecting the Network’s state-based strategy, focuses on South Carolina, which continues to play an over-sized role in out nation’s politics. The course material is ever-evolving to include the latest research and historical analyses. There is nothing like it, not just in South Carolina but nationally.

The school is a challenging but rewarding experience for the folks who complete the course. Not everyone does. Those who do, however, find it deepens their understanding of the place they call home and sharpens their skills for thriving in the Palmetto State.

Here are comments from some of last year’s students.

• Josh Dunn

• Nichel Dunlap-Thompson

• Dianna Freelon-Foster

• Nilanka Seneviratne

• Tayler Simon

• Gabbi Zurlo

Classes for the spring session will meet Mondays 6:30–8:30pm on Zoom and in-person at GROW, 1340 Elmwood Ave. in Columbia.

Registration closes Feb. 17. The course includes 16 evening classes, Sunday Deep Dives, and in-depth study guides. Tuition is based on a sliding scale, and limited full scholarships are available.

For details about the spring session or to apply, go HERE.

Graduate says Modjeska Simpkins School “builds leaders armed with knowledge ready to do battle”

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Becci

Dianna Freelon-Foster, 2024 graduate

Chair, Southern Partners Fund

I count myself lucky to have attended the Modjeska Simkins School. I was introduced to the life of Modjeska Simpkins through my fellow Southern Partners Fund Board member Brett Bursey. Before 2022, I had never heard her name, and I consider myself quite knowledgeable about the history of the movement of Black radical organizing. After all, I am in the state of Mississippi, the state Dr. Martin Luther King said was ‘sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression’ and as Nina Simone sang, ‘for everybody knows about Mississippi, goddam.’

As I was pondering (really soul, mind, and heart-searching) over what I wanted to say about the school, the voices in my head (I’m not hallucinating) were those of Fredrick Douglas (emancipation speech on British West Indies 1857) and Sherrilyn Ifill (post-election in November 2024), which were summed up by my fellow student Nilanka Seneviratne. He wrote, ‘Much of the status quo is rooted in years of oppression and struggle. We are not the first in this fight and we will not be the last’.

Note again the dates of those voices in my head 1857 and 2024 which span 167 years. We are not the first and we will not be the last.

American lawyer, civil rights activist, former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and professor at Howard University Sherilynn Ifill, the day after the 2024 election said, ‘It wasn’t the Electoral College. It wasn’t gerrymandering or even voter suppression. America was undone this week by the disease that sits in our national DNA: white supremacy.

From its very beginnings, our country has either embraced white supremacy or made compromises to accommodate it. Right there in the first Article of our Constitution is the 3/5 Compromise, the agreement to count enslaved Black people as 3/5 of a person to accommodate the interests of those whose livelihood was premised on extracting free labor from enslaved Black people. And so, we are here because far too many in this country have believed that a healthy democracy can accommodate white supremacy. Last night Americans learned what I have insisted for some time — we can either compromise with white supremacist ideology or have a healthy democracy. Not both.’

What was confirmed for me in my learnings from the Modjeska Simkins School were that South Carolina’s state, local, and federal policies’ impact was the ideology of white supremacy — not as a disease or sickness but as a planned strategy (history) of building unjust economic and political power for the few deemed worthy because of their maleness and whiteness (justification).

This has brought us to this critical juncture, not just nationally, but internationally. And without the undergirding of institutions like the Modjeska Simpkins School that builds leaders and followers armed with knowledge ready to do battle strategically and tactically, many of our children and children’s children will certainly suffer and pay a price.

The solution requires serious study while simultaneously working to dismantle and rebuild local, state, and federal structures. The Modjeska Simpkins School offers this as we move forward.

Gala marks Modjeska Simkins School milestone

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Becci

On Saturday, friends, allies, and alumni gathered to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Modjeska Simkins School, launched in 2015 to teach civics, organizing skills, and a people’s history of South Carolina. The school has not only survived but thrived, a tremendous feat for an under-funded nonprofit doing the Lord’s work in the belly of the beast. Considering the odds, it is something of a miracle.

So it should come as no surprise that the spirit of Modjeska Moneith Simkins was in the house on Saturday to celebrate the school that bears her name. She was no doubt watching to see if we have learned anything from her — about staying fearless and steadfast in the face of oppression, about claiming a seat at the table you’re not invited to, about understanding the strength of mass action and a united front, but also the power of a single person.

*SC Progressive Network Executive Director Brett Bursey*

“Modjeska would have loved tonight,” said Brett Bursey, Simkins’ mentee and executive director of the SC Progressive Network, which created the school to teach students of all ages and backgrounds skills to be effective citizens and strategic community activists.

“Our school mirrors the leadership institute that she started in the ‘40s,” he said. “She would be gratified to know that her example continues to inform and inspire generations of South Carolinians.”

Columbia’s historic Big Apple was packed for the gala, which was attended by a handsome crowd of writers, activists, teachers, historians, graduates of the program, and esteemed guests, including Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann.

“I think it’s exciting to celebrate 10 years,” the mayor said. “I hope we can work together in the future, and that our collaborations continue to grow to keep and preserve this history.” (See his full remarks HERE.)

Dr. Robert Greene II, who teaches history at Claflin University and has served as the Modjeska School’s lead instructor since 2019, said, “It is a mistake to think of South Carolina as merely contributing bad ideas, bad men, and bad moments to history. Yes, we are the only state that began as a colony founded for the express purpose of slavery. But we are also a state that contains a rich history of radicalism and fighting for social justice. For every Ben Tillman we have produced, we have also produced a Septima Clark. For every Wade Hampton III, we have a Robert Smalls. And for every James Byrnes, we have a Modjeska Simkins.

“Like so many other heroes and heroines of the struggle for freedom in South Carolina history, Ms. Simkins is a hidden diamond in the rough of misunderstood Palmetto State history. She was involved in the battle for civil rights; the crusade for free speech during the Cold War; the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War; the environmental movement; and the fight for a world free of nuclear weapons. If it involved freedom, she was there. If the battle was to be joined against the worst of hyper-capitalism, racism, and imperialism, she could be found on the firing line.”

As a professor at an HBCU, Dr. Greene knows better than most what is at stake in these perilous times. The Modjeska Simkins School’s role is more critical now than it was 10 years ago. Today, we are watching the unabashed assault on public education, the growing incidence of book bans and whitewashed history, and the fear and frustration of school teachers whose curriculums are increasingly being managed by corporate and religious interests. The political climate is so extreme that teaching true history is becoming not just unpopular, but illegal.

“The Modjeska Simkins School matters more now than ever,” said Nichel Dunlap-Thompson, who graduated from the school last spring. “You all see the attempts they are making to put chains around our necks. The Modjeska School is the breath of air needed for the history of this state to remain alive and presented properly and accurately.” (Watch her full remarks HERE.)

Nikky Finney was on hand for the occasion to share a few words about the school and to read a poem. She had just come from a memorial to mark a year since the passing of our mutual friend Marjorie Hammock, who served many years on the board of the SC Progressive Network and repeated the Modjeska School seven times. Finney asked that everyone say her name aloud, and for a moment the room echoed with a resounding MARJORIE! (Listen to Finney’s comments and poem HERE.)

The evening included recognition of Optus Bank, the latest iteration of Victory Savings, which was started Monteith family in 1921. Simkins worked there for many years, and met Bursey when he opened an account there for the Grass Roots Organizing Workshop. Optus’ marketing and communications manager Tereacy Pearson accepted a certificate of appreciation from the school for the bank’s support.

Dianna Freelon-Foster, chair of the Southern Partners Fund, sent words of encouragement from Mississippi. She said she learned about the school through fellow SPF board member Bursey, and her message underscored the importance of cultivating regional allies and teaching our shared history. “Without the undergirding of institutions like the Modjeska Simkins School that builds leaders armed with knowledge ready to do battle strategically and tactically,” she warned “many of our children and children’s children will suffer and pay a price. This requires serious study while simultaneously working to dismantle and rebuild local, state, and federal structures. The Modjeska Simkins School offers this as we move forward.”

*Network staffer and Modjeska School graduate Gabbi Zurlo*

Graduate Gabbi Zurlo, now on staff at the Network, said the school teaches “seeing our privilege, seeing outside ourselves to the long game, seeing that our comfort is never worth more than someone else’s dignity and human rights.” (See her full remarks HERE.)

SCPNEF board member Cecil Cahoon is an education expert and advocate. He said his work “has given me a perspective on the Network and the Modjeska School — an understanding of how unique they are, not only in the South but across the country.”

“The work started by people we never knew has passed through many hands over many generations and now is in ours. It’s an obligation, a commitment to do the work, to grow this connective tissue that now includes you — and the people you draw into it.

“You’re part of the muscle that goes all the way back to Robert Smalls and the Reconstruction legislature who established the promise of democracy in our state Constitution, where it had not existed before; through Modjeska Simkins and dozens of people like her that she trained; to all of the Modjeska alumni.”

*Cecil Cahoon and Nichel Dunlap-Thompson*

“The work I’ve done in the South, and with educators’ allies in other organizations and communities — has grounded me, out of necessity, in principles of movement-building, principles of citizenship in action, principles of participatory democracy — the kind of democracy that’s available to everyone. Principles of movement-building, of citizenship in action, and of participatory democracy, are the bedrock and guiding principles of the Progressive Network and the Modjeska School. The lessons we teach all come down to the principle of practicing what we preach, and leading people to understand their power in a real democracy.

“That is heavy work. But it is worth investing in.”

Indeed it is.

The Network and the school are grateful to everyone who made the gala a night to remember. We thank the speakers and graduates for their testimonials, our hard-working staff and volunteers, chef Joe Turkaly for a beautiful and delicious spread, Big Apple owner Richard Durlach and his partner Breedlove for the dance demo and for being such a gracious hosts.

Big thanks to GROW’s house band, Justus, for bringing The Big Apple alive. They are: Ken Cheeks, Sara Williams, Joe Gourley, Chris Gardner, and Dionne Marie Preussner. You can see them every 1st and 3rd Thursday 8–10pm at GROW, 1340 Elmwood Ave. For a taste, check them out on GROW’s YouTube playlist.

For more photos, see our Photo Album.

To support the school with a donation of any amount, click HERE or call the Network’s office at 803-354-6460. Contributions provide scholarship support for students and help cover travel costs for guest presenters.

If you are interested in attending the next session of the school, which begins March 1 and runs through June, you can find details and apply HERE.

Graduate calls Modjeska Simkins School “transformative”

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Becci

Nilanka Seneviratne, 2024 graduate

When I returned to South Carolina and was looking to make change locally, I gravitated to the Progressive Network, which I had joined before I left many years earlier. I started joining the monthly lunches, where I learned about Modjeska Simkins and the school named after her.

When the Modjeska School application was released, Brett Bursey encouraged me to apply. As someone educated in SC public schools in the ’80s and ’90s, I knew that the history I learned was biased and incomplete, and I was hungry to learn what had been left unsaid.

Dr. Robert Greene II is an excellent professor who manages to go deep into some dark history, show how the information relates to the modern day, all while cracking some good jokes. (But I digress.)

I count myself lucky not just to attend but to be local and able to join in robust discussions after class. Having completed the course, I can say that attending the Modjeska School was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Through those classes, I learned about SC’s outsized connections to major historical events, the deep history of those organizing for change within SC, and I made friends and comrades who I will work with locally.

Much of the status quo is rooted in years of oppression and struggle. We are not the first in this fight and we will not be the last. The path to this moment is littered with contestations between reactionary forces and those on the side of progress and change.

Those of us who are called to take on the current challenge can learn from those who preceded us — while we bring new knowledge, strategies, and tactics to the movement. And the true special sauce is the relationships we build. It is these relationships that can sustain us during the hard times, celebrate with us during our victories, and strategize with us as we plan for change.

Whether you are seeking to better understand SC history, looking for colleagues with which to make good trouble, or searching for inspiration on how you can make change, the Modjeska School is a step in the right direction.

• • •

We are sharing student testimonies about the Modjeska Simkins School ahead of the spring session, which begins March 1 and runs through the end of June. The application process opens in February.

Modjeska Simkins School celebrates 10 years of speaking truth to power

Posted on December 29, 2024 by Becci

On the evening of Saturday, Jan. 25, friends, allies, and alumni will gather at the historic Big Apple in the heart of Columbia to celebrate 10 years of teaching truth in South Carolina.

The SC Progressive Network started the school in 2015 to teach civics, organizing skills and strategies, and a true people’s history of the Palmetto State. Since then, some 400 students of all ages, backgrounds, and interests have graduated from the intensive four-month program. Hundreds more have attended the school’s public programs that are offered free on most Sundays during the session.

The evening will be a chance to celebrate the school and the people who have made it a first-class, graduate-level experience that is unlike anything else in South Carolina. In fact, other states are looking to the school as a model to help address the education crisis in this country.

Network Executive Director Brett Bursey said, “Of all the work we’ve done, the school is the most rewarding and necessary. It is exceeding our expectations, and we are gratified by the buy-in we are getting from those who understand the value of education and speaking truth to power.” (You can watch him doing the latter in this clip from a 2022 education subcommittee hearing on Critical Race Theory.)

“The Modjeska Simkins School has worked hard for 10 years to teach the true history of our state,” said Dr. Robert Greene II, who has served as lead instructor of the Modjeska Simkins School since 2019. “Our upcoming gala will showcase the best of our state, through our students and guest faculty. South Carolina’s history provides a template to fight against oppression and for freedom. Let’s continue this great work together!”

The gala will feature renowned poet Nikky Finney, a longtime supporter of the school and the Network. She spoke at the rally the Network organized in 2017, and she addressed the Modjeska School graduates in 2021. She is a powerful speaker and writer.

The evening will include live jazz and a dance demonstration by Richard Durlach, who owns the Big Apple where the dance craze was born in 1937. We encourage attendees to wear 1930s-era dance attire — or at least a festive hat.

Proceeds will help us continue to teach South Carolina’s real history in a time of book bans and shrinking history programs across the state. If you cannot attend, consider making tickets a gift for a friend. Or you can make a general donation HERE of any amount. Every dollar is appreciated, and allows us to offer student scholarships and to cover travel costs of guests speakers.

We are very proud of the school, and are busy planning programs to expand our reach across the state. This event will not just be a wonderful evening, it will boost our visibility ahead of the spring session, which runs March 1 through June 28. Students may attend online or in-person at our HQ in Columbia, located at 1340 Elmwood Ave.

Find out more about the Big Apple in this 2019 piece in Oxford American by Dr. Greene II.

See our photo album HERE.

Questions? Call 803-808-3384 or email network@scpronet.com.

Josh Dunn on what the Modjeska Simkins School taught him

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Becci

The Modjeska Simkins School is preparing for its spring session, which begins March 1 and runs through June.

To help celebrate our 10th year, we wanted share what the school has meant to some of the students who completed the program.

• • •

Josh Dunn, 2024 graduate

As a graduate from the most recent session of the Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights, I wanted to write a statement of appreciation for what Modjeska School has meant for me. Throughout the 14-week class, Dr. Robert Greene II and the many guest lecturers clarified what I had always felt as a South Carolinian but never knew how to articulate: this state has nearly always played an outsized role in the nation’s greatest injustices, but, just as consistently, it has been home to individuals and movements willing to take great personal risks for justice and human rights.

Week after week, the Modjeska School provided me with a usable history. I was able to take practical lessons from the lives of people like Septima Clarke, Modjeska Simkins, and Capt. Howard Levy.

I saw more clearly how the problems we are facing today are rooted in South Carolina’s legacy of empire, enslavement, apartheid, class warfare and suppression of dissent.

I developed an analysis that helped me see how transforming South Carolina is transforming the world. And I found a community of shared values in my cohort, many of whom were already seasoned organizers.

All of this lit a fire. My excuses for sitting out didn’t feel very palatable anymore. I wanted to put my principles into action and join in the legacy of all of those that came before me. Drawing on what I learned through the school, I started seeing organizing not as a discrete act but as something to weave into the fabric of my life, finding ways to lend my skills and knowledge where I could.

Of course, it’s all still a work-in-progress, but I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish with the help of a lot of new friends and co-conspirators. The more I step into organizing, the more I see how much more I have to learn. But the Modjeska School prepared me for this with a foundational history and the courage to join the long project of justice in South Carolina. So for that, I am very thankful.

Graduate Tayler Simon on lessons learned at the Modjeska School

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Becci

The Modjeska Simkins School is gearing up for its next session, which begins March 1 and runs through June. To help celebrate our 10th year, we wanted share what the school has meant to some of the students who completed the program.

*Dr. Robert Greene II, lead instructor at the Modjeska Simkins School, awards Tayler Simon her diploma*

Tayler Simon, 2024 graduate

The Modjeska School was just what I needed to really begin to deepen my organizing work here in Columbia. From the very first lesson, I knew I was where I needed to be.

Dr. Greene’s lessons were taught with such knowledge and passion, and the curriculum curated by the SC Progressive Network staff was comprehensive. Each week as I sat through the lessons of the SC history I was never taught, I found my mind connecting to a million different things. I wrote more protest poetry and began solidifying the foundation I was building with my bookstore Liberation is Lit.

But what I took away the most was the community. I am connected to so many smart and passionate comrades (I refer to them to my friends outside of the School as my organizing comrades) who I continue to organize and learn from to this day.

Even the way I got connected to the Modjeska School was in a true grassroots way — a friend of a friend of a friend told me about it two days before the deadline to sign up.

I used to think social media was my best tool to organize for change; getting involved in the Modjeska School taught me that it’s the relationships you build offline (or via Zoom) in safe spaces to learn together.

Happy 125th birthday, Modjeska!

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Becci

GROW has never been as packed as it was on the evening of Dec. 5, on the occasion of Modjeska Monteith Simkins’ 125th birthday. One can only imagine what she might have thought of the gathering. This much we can guess: she would have approved of the fact that the event was free. She once groused about a fundraiser being held in her name, saying she wouldn’t pay the ticket price to attend.

As it does every year, the SC Progressive Network threw a party to remember the human rights activist who continues to inform and inspire our work. This year was special in that it fell on the night GROW holds its first-Thursday jazz workshop. The GROW house band was joined by the USC Congaree New Horizons jazz improv group for a great night of live music.

Dr. Robert Greene, lead instructor for the Modjeska Simkins School, reminded us how important it is to remember not just the bad actors in SC history, but also the people such as Ms. Simkins who fought back against stiff odds.

“If you live in South Carolina, you not only live in a state influenced by John C. Calhoun, or Ben Tillman, or James Byrnes. You are also living in a state impacted by the rebels in Stono, by Robert Smalls, Septima Clark and Modjeska Simkins.”

You can listen to Dr. Greene’s full remarks, and those of former SC Rep. James Felder and Network Executive Director Brett Bursey, in this video.

It was an evening full of fellowship and hope, just what the doctor ordered in these troubled times.

See our photo album HERE.

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