The keynote address at the Columbia NAACP’s annual gala on Sunday night was more than a speech. It was a fiery call to action. Rev. Nelson Rivers III, longtime civil rights leader and pastor, told hundreds gathered at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center that the fight for justice in South Carolina is not over — and the Black church must step forward to lead it.
Preaching under the theme “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants,” Rivers wove history, scripture, and personal testimony into a sweeping vision of both remembrance and responsibility. He honored pioneers like the Briggs family of Clarendon County, Harvey Gantt — the first Black student at Clemson University — and Charleston students who desegregated schools in 1963. Their courage, he said, must become the measure of today’s commitment to justice.
“Caleb and Joshua told the people, ‘We can overcome,’” Rivers thundered. “Our giants showed us what was possible when they had nothing. And now, with so much more, what is our excuse?”
A Challenge to the Black Church
Rivers directed much of his challenge to pastors and congregations across the state. Calling the church “the only institution in our community that meets every week without fail,” he insisted that its moral authority makes it the strongest weapon for change.
“Church does not end on Sunday,” Rivers said. “Church begins on Monday. Black Church, what you scared of? 18,000 Black churches in this state and yet no hate crime bill? That cannot be.”
He announced plans to mobilize 1,000 Black clergy at the South Carolina State House on January 13, 2026, when lawmakers return for the legislative session. The
demonstration, he said, will demand passage of a longdelayed hate crimes bill and broader accountability on racial justice issues.
“We’re going to lock arms around that Capitol and tell Pharaoh, let my people go,” Rivers declared. “This time, Nebuchadnezzar will not scare us. If they could tear down the
Confederate flag, then by God we can pass a hate crime bill.”
Remembering Charleston and Continuing the Legacy
Rivers reminded the audience that the absence of such a law is particularly painful in a state still haunted by the 2015 Mother Emanuel AME massacre, where white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine worshippers in Charleston.
“South Carolina still does not have a hate crime law,” Rivers said, his voice rising with emotion. “If not for our churches, who will demand it? If not now, when?”
“Where Them Dogs At?”
Building to a powerful refrain, Rivers challenged the NAACP itself to reclaim its bite. “You cannot be the big dog and stay on the porch,” he said. “Where them dogs at? I want to hear some barking. You got to bite sometimes. Justice doesn’t happen overnight, but you never stop fighting.”
A Message Rooted in Faith
Throughout the nearly hour-long speech, Rivers fused civil rights history with biblical imagery. He recounted his own family’s legacy of defiance in South Carolina, praised past NAACP giants like Dr. W.F. Gibson, and urged today’s advocates not to grow silent in the face of fear.
“We are not Christians because we say so,” Rivers said. “We are Christians because we do so. If you preach Jesus on Sunday but stay silent on Monday, you have missed the call.”
Rivers ended where he began — with gratitude for the legacy left behind and a challenge for his audience to meet their own moment in history.
“Standing on the shoulders of giants means it’s our turn,” he said as the crowd rose in applause. “They did their job while they were here. The only question left tonight is this: what are you going to do?”
Columbia SC NAACP President Oveta Glover said that she was “On fire for justice, on fire for peace.”
Glover thanked the crowd for coming out, her executive board and Rev. Rivers.
“Thank you to my dear friend, Reverend Nelson B Rivers III,” she said. “You brought it. Right now, that’s what we need.”
Glover urged the crowd to pass Rivers’ message on to everyone who was not at the meeting. “Give it to someone else,” she said. “It’s going to make a world of difference. Vote and remember the legacy.”
During the program, several people received awards. Columbia College President Dr. John Dozier received the NAACP Higher Education Award. Radio personality Johnny Green received the Media Legacy Award. Rep. Leon Howard received the Lonnie Randolph Service Award. Rev. Dr. Thurmond Bowens Jr. received the NAACP Faith Award. Tiffany Wider received the NAACP Community Award. Master Michael Spencer was presented with the Emerging Leader Award.
