Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Sarah Mae Flemming
And the Integration of Public Transportation
| | Our Story Matters | |
Photographed by Dave W, May 13, 2023
1. Sarah Mae Flemming Marker
On June 22, 1954, Sarah Mae Flemming, a 20-year-old African American native of Lower Richland, boarded a public bus operated by the South Carolina Electric and Gas Company. When a seat became available near the "whites only" section, Flemming sat down. After the bus driver ordered Flemming to move toward the rear of the bus, she attempted to depart from the front door, but the driver struck her in the abdomen. Injured, Flemming left the bus here, at the corner of Main and Washington Streets.
With the aid of Civil Rights pioneer Modjeska Simkins and the NAACP, Flemming filed a lawsuit. On July 14, 1955, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the principle applied to schools in the Brown v. Board decision could be expanded to public transportation. Flemming's heroic actions desegregated Columbia's city buses and provided an important legal precedent for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, inspired by the arrest of Rosa Parks.
(caption) Sarah Mae Flemming on the steps of the South Carolina Courthouse in Columbia, S.C. Flemming (seconf from left) is joined b attorneys Lincoln C. Jenkins and Matthew Perry. Julia Elizabeth King, who testified on Flemming's behalf, stands next to her. Image courtesy of South Carolina Library, University of South Carolina.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical date for this entry is June 22, 1954.
Location. 34° 0.245′ N, 81° 2.096′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It is on Washington Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1400 Washington St, Columbia SC 29201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands. 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: Legacies of The Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina (here, next to this marker); Washington Street (within shouting distance of this marker); The Palmetto Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Court House Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Poulin | Willey | Anastopoulo (within shouting distance of this marker); 'We Kept the Fire Going' (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Deluge (about 500 feet away); Israelite Sunday School / Columbia's First Synagogue (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.
Also see . . . Columbia SC 63.
Since 2012, Columbia SC 63: Our Story Matters has successfully built a platform for the world to learn the stories of the brave men and women who participated(Submitted on May 15, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado.)in South Carolinas march toward freedom.Photographed by Dave W, May 13, 20232. Sarah Mae Flemming Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 388 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 15, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
