Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3) today launched applications for its inaugural class. Working in partnership with Kids on Point (KOP), C3 is a week-long educational program for Lowcountry high-school students completing their freshman year of high school.
Through C3, students will be immersed in the civil rights history of the Lowcountry and visit some of the region's most significant sites to learn firsthand about South Carolina's history of slavery and civil rights, and its connection to our present. The program culminates with a day to explore the state’s election systems with a focus on the importance of civic engagement and the role of government.
“We launched this program to help teach the Lowcountry's civil rights legacy and build bridges between high school students of diverse backgrounds,” said C3 Founder and Executive Director, Leslie Skardon. “We're fortunate to have an incredible Advisory Committee and curriculum partners who have helped us create a comprehensive and inclusive program that will bring students together and shape our future leaders.”
Students will visit the International African American Museum; important monuments and markers within Charleston; the Avery Center; the Penn Center on Saint Helena Island; the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor; Robert Smalls' monuments in Beaufort; sites from the Orangeburg massacre, including tours of South Carolina State and Claflin Universities; the Gibbes Museum and the Charleston Board of Elections. Students will hear first hand accounts of the Orangeburg Massacre, the Hospital Workers Strike, and The Progressive Club, and participate in a panel with local legislators.
“This type of programming is so important to understanding our history,” said Rev. DeMett Jenkins, Advisory Committee Member and the Lilly Director of Education and Engagement at the International African American Museum. “We hope all students have an opportunity to engage with C3.”
The program will run from Monday, July 31st through Friday, August 4th. Applications are for current high school students and can be found here: https://kidsonpoint.org/c3/. Applications close on March 7th. The program is free to all students and will include lunch and transportation support.
C3's Advisory Committee includes: Dr. Tamara Butler, Executive Director, Avery Center of Research; Reverend DeMett Jenkins, Lilly Director of Education and Engagement for Faith Based Communities, International African American Museum; CJ Gathers, Women and Youth Programs Director, YWCA Greater Charleston; Chanel Leach, Special Assistant to the President and CEO, Coastal Community Foundation; Dr. Courtney Howard, Chief Diversity Officer, College of Charleston; Reverend Dr. Marion Platt III, International African American Museum Faith Based Advisory Council; Reverend Timothy N. Grant, M.TS., M. Div., Senior Pastor- Greater St. Peter's Church, Associate Dean/Chief Diversity Officer, Charleston Southern University; and Joan Zaleski, Co-President, League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area.
