About Corine and Celestine
Corine and Celestine: Coming of Age in Civil Rights Era South Carolina, a one-hour documentary examining the civil rights era through the lived experiences of two Black women. The program premieres March 26 at 8 p.m. on ETV.
Corine and Celestine explores how Celestine Parson Lloyd and Corine Johnson experienced the civil rights movement not as distant events, but as daily realities shaped by family, labor, dignity and survival in rural communities. Through their stories, the documentary highlights how the movement was sustained not only in courtrooms and protests, but in kitchens, classrooms, churches and small businesses across South Carolina.
Through firsthand interviews with both women and the use of archival materials, including historical insight from Dr. Kenneth Clark, the documentary offers a personal perspective on a pivotal period in American history. Their experiences underscore the essential contributions of Black women whose leadership, resilience and vision shaped their communities in lasting ways.
Corine Johnson
Corine Johnson’s story reflects another dimension of the era. A native of Batesburg, she witnessed racial violence firsthand, including the February 1946 beating of Isaac Woodard, a World War II sergeant returning home after his service. A pioneering Black cosmetologist, Johnson transformed her beauty shop into a center of economic empowerment, community care and educational support, quietly investing in future generations, including students such as Congressman Jim Clyburn.
Celestine Parson Lloyd
As a child in Summerton, S.C., Celestine Parson Lloyd participated in the landmark “Doll Study” conducted by psychologists Dr. Kenneth Bancroft Clark and Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark, designed to measure the psychological effects of segregation on Black children. Contrary to widely circulated interpretations of the study, Lloyd chose the Black doll, an early assertion of self-worth that challenges prevailing narratives about Black childhood during Jim Crow. The Clarks’ research later became the first psychological study cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and played a role in the decision to end school segregation in the landmark rulings of Brown v. Board of Education and Briggs v. Elliott.
Production Team
Corine and Celestine was produced through a collaborative effort led by Dr. Bobby Donaldson, with SCETV’s Dr. Salandra Bowman serving as producer and director and SCETV’s Dr. Stephanie Cook as executive producer. The film reflects a shared commitment to preserving and elevating South Carolina’s history through thoughtful storytelling and in-depth research.
