2019 Morrison Visionary Award Presented to Robin Waites

One Columbia for Arts and Culture announced Robin Waites, the executive director of Historic Columbia, as the recipient of the 2019 Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award. The award will be presented December 17, 2019 at 6:30pm at Hotel Trundle.

The Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award is an annual recognition of a Columbian who reflects many of the values and qualities of those generously given by One Columbia’s former leader in support of the growth and vitality of his City of Columbia. Morrison, who passed away in 2013, co-chaired the One Columbia Arts and Culture Board of Directors for three years.

Robin Waites has served as the executive director of Historic Columbia since 2004. During her tenure she has overseen the transformation of the historic buildings and grounds, established an expansive community engagement program in Columbia and Richland County, and has been central to a number of major historic preservation efforts.

All of these property transformations opened spaces that are much more than just historic homes. They now present and elevate the roles enslaved persons and post-emancipated people of color played in shaping Columbia. They are now centers for connected thinking and dialogue that challenge visitors to make broader connections and appreciate people different from themselves—key ingredients for social awareness and community involvement.

Outside of the work that Historic Columbia does directly, Waites has also pushed historic preservation into the forefront of community involvement through strategic partnerships with neighborhoods. Successes include the acquisition of funding with the goal of engaging individuals in the creation of their own neighborhood histories in downtown communities. This initiative activated further projects, such as the Columbia Jewish Heritage initiative, partnerships with ColumbiaSC63 and the Columbia African American Archaeology Project.

Waites’ success at building bridges through the medium of history has caused a ripple effect throughout Columbia’s diverse social, racial, educational, spiritual and class-based communities. She continues to lead new partnerships—particularly with the City of Women and Queer Columbia initiatives—that promise to advance the understanding of our community’s evolution even more holistically.