Ansonborough in Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Septima Poinsette Clark
1898-1987 • Educator & Civil Rights Activist
In 1956 Clark was fired from the Charleston school system for being a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She then taught adult education at the Highlander Folk Center in Tennessee. She established schools for illiterate adults. In 1957 she began her model "Citizenship School" on John's Island, teaching African Americans how to read so they could pass voter registration tests.
A training supervisor for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Clark empowered others in the growing 1960's Civil Rights Movement. The indomitable Clark worked alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., who called her "the Mother of the Movement". She was with King when he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Clark retired from SCLC in 1973 and returned home to Charleston where she stayed active in educational and civil rights issues. The recipient of numerous honorary awards, this "drum major for justice" died in 1987 and is buried in the Old Bethel United Methodist cemetery. The fountain at Liberty Square is named in her honor.
"The greatest evil in our country today is not racism, but ignorance. I believe unconditionally in the ability of people to respond when they are told the truth. We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm." ~Septima Clark, 1975
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.
Location. 32° 47.419′ N, 79° 55.562′ W. Marker is in Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is in Ansonborough. Marker can be reached from Calhoun Street east of Concord Street when traveling east. Marker is located within Liberty Square, near Fort Sumter National Monument, along "Freedom Lane" (an extension of Calhoun Street to the east of Concord Street). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 340 Concord Street, Charleston SC 29401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Septima Poinsette Clark 1898-1987 (a few steps from this marker); Gadsden's Wharf (within shouting distance of this marker); Philip Simmons (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Sumter Bricks (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Sumter Today (about 300 feet away); Port of Charleston (about 300 feet away); The Borough Houses (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named The Borough Houses (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Septima Poinsette Clark
Also see . . . Local and National Leader: Septima P. Clark. Septima Clark holds an important place in the history of the South Carolina Lowcountry and the United States as an influential African American educator and civil rights activist. She is best known for working with local and national leaders in civil rights organizations to establish Citizenship Schools—first on Johns Island, South Carolina in 1957, and eventually throughout the U.S. South. Between 1957 and 1970, more than 28,000 southern African Americans passed through these schools. (Submitted on May 24, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 478 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 24, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.