Summerton in Clarendon County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Scott’s Branch School/Briggs V. Elliot
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, June 6, 2022
1. Scott’s Branch School (Side 1) Marker
(Side 1)
Previously located at Taw Caw Baptist Church outside Summerton and at a site on 1st St., Scott's Branch School moved here 1937-38. The first school at this site was a white, ten room, frame building and enrolled African American students in grades 1-11. The current campus, completed in 1952, was the first school built through S.C.’s equalization program, a statewide effort to preserve segregation by upgrading black schools.
(Continued from other side)
In the late 1940s, Scott's Branch School became the focal point of petitions and lawsuits filed by local African Americans to secure equal resources for black pupils in Summerton schools. Facing fierce opposition, 20 families ultimately sued to desegregate local schools in 1950. These efforts, led by Rev. Joseph A. Delaine and NAACP, resulted in Briggs v. Elliott (1951), first among five cases that in 1954 led the U.S. Supreme Court to declare segregated schooling unconstitutional.
Erected 2020 by Scott’s Branch High School Alumni Association, Inc. (Marker Number 14-24.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 33° 36.553′ N, 80° 21.511′ W. Marker is in Summerton, South Carolina, in Clarendon County. It is at the intersection of 4th Street and Larry King Highway, on the left when traveling north on 4th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1154 4th Street, Summerton SC 29148, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee and in Santee Cooper Country. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "Together Let Us Sweetly Live" (within shouting distance of this marker); Rev. J.A. De Laine (within shouting distance of this marker); Harry Briggs (within shouting distance of this marker); Levi Pearson Sr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Briggs Family House/Briggs V. Elliott (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Mark A.M.E. (approx. ¼ mile away); Elusive Francis Marion, 1780-1781 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Patriot Departs to Ride with Marion (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Summerton.
Also see . . . Original Scott’s Branch School. (Submitted on June 12, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, June 6, 2022
2. Briggs V. Elliott (Side 2) Marker
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, June 6, 2022
3. Scott’s Branch School/ Briggs V. Elliott Marker
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, June 6, 2022
4. Scott’s Branch High School sign
Credits. This page was last revised on June 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,122 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 12, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 4. submitted on June 13, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
