Summerton in Clarendon County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Briggs Family House/Briggs V. Elliott
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, June 6, 2022
1. Briggs Family House (Side 1) Marker
(Side 1)
On November 11, 1949, local African American families came to this house to sign a petition demanding equal resources in Summerton's racially segregated schools. Believing the homes isolated location would offer safety, NAACP leader Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine requested its use from owners Harry Sr. (1913-1986) and Eliza Briggs (1917-1998) who with their children were the first of 107 people to sign the petition.
(Continued from other side)
The action taken here culminated in Briggs v. Elliott named for lead plaintiff, Harry Briggs Sr., and one of five cases that in 1954 led the U.S. Supreme Court to deciare segregated schooling unconstitutional. Like others who signed the petition, the Briggs family faced retaliation. Henry and Eliza botn lost their jobs and the family was forced to leave the state to find opportunity. They returned to Summerton in 1976, living here at the home they had built in the 1940s.
Erected 2020 by Summerton Community Action Group. (Marker Number 14-25.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 33° 36.469′ N, 80° 21.51′ W. Marker is in Summerton, South Carolina, in Clarendon County. It is at the intersection of Delaiane Street and Hill Street, on the left when traveling west on Delaiane Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1088 Hall 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: Scotts Branch School/Briggs V. Elliot (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rev. J.A. De Laine (about 600 feet away); Harry Briggs (about 600 feet away); Levi Pearson Sr. (about 600 feet away); "Together Let Us Sweetly Live" (about 600 feet away); St. Mark A.M.E. (approx. Ό 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 . . . Briggs Home. (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. Briggs Family House/ Briggs V. Elliott Marker
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 685 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 12, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
