A fundraising effort is underway to complete the South Carolina Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg. Founded by renowned photojournalist and civil rights chronicler Cecil J. Williams, the museum is racing to install exhibits and cover operating costs before reopening its doors in a new downtown location.
The new 11,000-square-foot facility at Railroad Corner — once the heart of a bustling African-American business district — is nearly complete, and is set to house 28 galleries detailing South Carolina’s civil rights history, including artifacts from the Briggs v. Elliott school desegregation case and the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre. A broken-down soda shop and movie theater were redeveloped as part of the project, set to become a gateway for visitors touring Orangeburg.
Cecil Williams
The original museum, opened in 2019 at 1865 Lake Drive from Williams’ own home and photography studio, was South Carolina’s first institution dedicated to the civil rights movement. But the new museum — first targeted for a 2025 opening — has been hit with costly delays, pushing the launch back by seven to eight months. According to WIS television in Columbia, changes in state funding made it more difficult to complete the project. A GoFundMe campaign organized by an outside supporter, who described the funding loss as stemming from “this administration’s anti-DEI crusade,” says the state funding previously approved for the museum was pulled, leaving Williams to raise at least $500,000 on his own.
Williams, a Claflin University alumnus and 2016 Order of the Palmetto recipient, says the history of the civil rights movement is too often lost when the people who lived through it pass away.
“Someone I think had to do this because there were so many acts of bravery by South Carolinians and our stories have not been told,” Williams said. “We’re going to make sure, as the guardians of this history, that their stories are told.”
The museum has already secured $200,000 in grant funding and other donations from major organizations. Earlier support from Congressman James Clyburn also helped fund the relocation, which is part of a $23 million federal grant to revitalize Railroad Corner. In February of this year, the museum announced a separate $4 million campaign to fully fabricate and install exhibits, noting the museum belongs to all South Carolinians.
“From local citizens to national corporations, the response has been both inspiring and humbling. This museum belongs to the people, and it is being built by the people,” Williams said. “We have built the foundation. Now we must build the story. With broad support from across the country, we will complete a museum worthy of the history it preserves and the future it inspires.”
The GoFundMe campaign has raised over $30,000 as of early September, with contributions from more than 650 donors. According to its support page, the museum is a 501(c)(3) organization. A second, smaller GoFundMe page, listed as tax-deductible, has also been set up directly by Williams.
“We want everyone to know this is “your” museum,” Williams said. “We will stand for excellence and on par with regional and nationally ranked museums.’
An opening timeline for the new facility has been pushed back as fundraising continues, though the museum has previously said it hoped to open by the end of this year.
How to Make a Donation
Donations of any amount are welcome. Here’s how to contribute:
• Online: Visit the museum’s support page at southcarolinacivilrightsmuseum.com/support
• GoFundMe: Help Cecil Williams Finish Civil Rights Museum
• CashApp: Use $sccivilrightsmusem
• By mail or phone: Contact the museum at 1865 Lake Drive, Orangeburg, SC 29115. Phone: 803-531-1662 or 803-541-1662. Email: info@sccivilrightsmuseum.org
The museum also offers “Founding Donor” recognition for contributions of $5,000 or more, with the option of naming rights to museum collections and galleries.