7Sunday, in partnership with the City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunities, announces its return with a new series, BizArts, with a kickoff event in the Columbia Museum of Art. The event, scheduled for Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 4 PM to 7 PM, will feature the thought-provoking documentary “Did You Know? Columbia’s Black Wall Street” and pay homage to Columbia’s historic Black business district.
This inaugural event serves as a tribute to the rich legacy of Black entrepreneurship in Columbia while fostering inspiration for today’s generation of business owners and creatives. We extend a warm invitation to small business owners, creatives, students, community members and all those passionate about local history, innovation and progress.
About BizArts
BizArts is a dynamic cultural and economic empowerment initiative created by 7Sunday and supported by the City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunities. Designed to uplift small businesses and creatives, BizArts champions visibility, collaboration, and sustainable growth. Through storytelling, community gatherings, creative showcases, and access to valuable resources, the series highlights the intersection of entrepreneurship and the arts—fueling innovation, legacy building and collective prosperity.
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, and thanks to our partnership with the OBO, one local small business owner will be awarded 10 free classes to the FastTrac Growth Venture program—a comprehensive course designed to help entrepreneurs strategically grow their business. This program provides targeted support in key areas including budgeting, sales strategy, leadership development, operational systems, and business plan execution—equipping participants with the tools they need to thrive and grow.
The evening will begin with an engaging fireside chat where we will explore the historic impact of Columbia’s Black entrepreneurs, their role in shaping the city’s economic and cultural life and the relevance of their stories to today’s efforts in economic equity and community empowerment.
Following the discussion, guests will be invited to experience the screening of the documentary Did You Know? Columbia’s Black Wall Street. Originally premiered on June 19, 2024, the film offers a compelling narrative that uncovers the triumphs and tenacity of Black business leaders whose influence helped define Columbia’s economic identity.
Attendees will also enjoy a special exhibition presented by the University of South Carolina Center for Civil Rights History and Research and Columbia SC 63, which offers a vivid visual
account of Black entrepreneurship and civic leadership during the Civil Rights Movement era.
Throughout the evening, guests can connect over light hors d’oeuvres, adult beverages and music from a recording artist in an inviting atmosphere that encourages networking, reflection and celebration.
This event is not just a look back—it’s a call to action to support and uplift Columbia’s next generation of visionaries.
For more information, contact Fanta Coleman at 803-466-0443 or email info@7Sunday.live
going to face the enemy, and some of you might not come back.’ I had never been called a man by a white person before. That gave me courage.”
In October 1942, McKinnon was assigned to USS Calvert and later joined a massive convoy headed toward North Africa. “The sun was just peeking over the mountain. It was so quiet, so peaceful,” he recalled. “Then all of a sudden, the firecrackers began.”
Ships were struck by enemy submarines. Planes screamed through the air.
McKinnon operated a 40-millimeter anti-aircraft gun on the ship’s starboard side. “I was the pointer, and Doug was the trainer,” he said. “We worked together. He had the trigger on the foot.” Though he had never seen a German aircraft, he recognized the insignia as enemy planes tore through the sky.
McKinnon survived the battle and returned home, but he re-enlisted soon after, making the Navy his career. He served aboard several ships, including USS Coral Sea, USS Midway, and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, and at stations in Pearl Harbor and Guantanamo Bay. He also crossed both the Arctic Circle and the equator during his career, earning the honorary titles of Blue Nose and Shellback.
During peacetime, McKinnon trained Canadian forces on missile systems and helped support logistics operations across the Pacific. But he said nothing compared to those early days in the Atlantic, where the reality of war left an imprint that never faded. “You can’t explain war,” he said. “It takes a lot out of a man to talk about it.”
In 1946, McKinnon was selected as part of Operation
Crossroads, the U.S. military’s atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. He had no idea what he was sailing into. “We didn’t know what was going on until we got to sea,” he said. “They just told us we were going to be up against nuclear.”
His ship, USS Artemis, was positioned near the blast zone to study radiation effects on naval vessels and crew. “When the bomb went off, there was nothing standing but a frame,” he recalled. “Everything above water was gone. My hair was gone. It never grew back.”
He laughed softly as he recalled being a young man with a bald head. “It came back for a while,” he said. “Then it left again. Never returned.” Still, he said he would do it all over again. “The Navy gave me discipline. It gave me a life.”
Despite the physical and emotional toll, McKinnon continued to serve with pride. Over his 30-year Navy career, he earned six Good Conduct Medals, the American Area Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, a World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Navy Occupation Service Medal.
He retired in 1972 as a steward petty officer third class and settled in Islandton, South Carolina, with his wife and children.
“The Lord blessed me with a good home,” he said. “I still live in that house today. I asked Him for it, and He gave it to me.” McKinnon credited his faith as the foundation of both his long life and his happiness. “I give God thanks,” he said. “That’s how I made it.”
He later worked in civil service and the local school
