William Gilmore Simms was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He was a poet, novelist, and historian whose work was a major force in antebellum Southern literature. He was called one of America’s best novelists by Edgar Allen Poe. Works include Martin Faber, Guy Rivers, The...

Lucile "Miss Ludy" Ellerbe Godbold (1900-1981) is a distinguished American athlete and educator from Estill, South Carolina. Her accomplishments paved the way for female athletes around the world. This nine minute piece chronicles her successes using a vast array of...

Elizabeth Boatwright Coker was the author of nine historical romance novels. Born in Darlington, South Carolina, she was married to South Carolina industrialist James Lide Coker, III. She graduated from Converse College and moved to New York City where she modeled hats and...

Dr. Anne Austin Young was born in Cross Hill, South Carolina, and graduated from Presbyterian College as the school's first female valedictorian. She then went on to medical school, graduating with top honors, during the early 1900s when such an aspiration provided many...

Wil Lou Gray, born in Laurens, S.C. in 1883 devoted her life to the education of the under-served in rural S.C., teaching them to read and write in her campaign to abolish illiteracy.

5-minute biography of statesman Thomas Pinckney. Through the use of interviews and historical illustrations, the documentary tells the story of this signer of the United States Constitution, military leader and political figure, and his contributions to South Carolina and...

John Kennedy, director of Spoleto's Music in Time concert series, talks about the origins and influences of the festivals more avante-garde musical offerings. Spoleto Festival USA 2017 is May 26 – June 11 in Charleston, SC. Visit the website for more information. Watch some...

Ann Pamela Cunningham (1816-1868) was a South Carolinian from Laurens County who led the effort to restore and preserve Mount Vernon, George Washington’s ancestral home in Virginia. She served as First Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union.

Short biography of indigo planter and colonial entrepreneur Eliza Lucas Pinckney, another example of the enormous contribution the Pinckney family of South Carolina has made to the history of our state.

Septima Poinsette Clark was known as the “Queen Mother” or “Grandmother” of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr., commonly referred to Ms. Clark, as “The Mother of the Movement”. Born in Charleston, SC, in 1898, Septima’s life was greatly...

5-minute biography of the life of American Civil War era diarist Mary Chestnut. Through the use of available archival materials, scholar interviews, and historical illustrations this program details the events surrounding Chestnut’s life and her contributions to South...

Frances Ravenel Smythe Edmunds achieved national recognition as an advocate for historic preservation. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 1939. In 1947, she founded the Historic Charleston Foundation and served as Director. In 1971, she received the Louise...

Inducted into the South Carolina Hall Of Fame, Charles Bolden, Jr. flew on four historic Space Shuttle missions in the 1980's and 90's, and became the first African-American to lead NASA as NASA Administrator.

Inducted into the South Carolina Hall Of Fame, Ronald McNair was the second African-American to go into space, and was part of the STS-51L crew that died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off in 1986.

Marian Wright Edelman, is founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), considered by many, the nation’s strongest voice for children and families. Born in Bennettsville, SC, in 1939, Marian is a graduate of Historically Black Spelman College, located in...