Lander, Dr. Kevin Witherspoon honored for advancing Dr. Benjamin E. Mays’ legacy

The recipients of the 2026 Mays Legacy Awards include Lander University and Dr. Kevin B. Witherspoon, a Lander professor of history.

The award is named for the late Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, a Greenwood County native who was a noted educator and president of Morehouse College and mentor to many of the leaders of the nation’s civil rights movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Witherspoon, who is the inaugural Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair at Lander, was recognized during a ceremony in which Lander Provost Dr. James Colbert also accepted a Mays Legacy Award on behalf of the University.

In presenting the award to Lander University, speaker Dr. Ameca Thomas said Lander has “demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Dr. Mays’ life is not only remembered — but taught, studied and lived.”

Thomas, the chief executive officer of the GLEAMNS Human Resources Commission, said Lander University has done this “through academic programs, community partnerships and its ongoing collaboration with the GLEAMNS Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site” to help “bring history to life for countless students and community members.”

She also said that Lander’s “connection to Dr. Mays is not new. It is deep, historic and enduring.”

When Lander awarded Mays an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree in 1974, Thomas recalled Mays’ words: “You honor me today more than my mind can imagine… more than my will can determine, and more than my heart can feel.”

Receiving the 2026 Mays Legacy Award is a tremendous honor for the University, “because it reflects our commitment to the enduring values Dr. Benjamin Mays championed throughout his life — education, leadership, service and the courage to create positive change,” said Colbert, Lander’s vice president for academic affairs at Lander.

“Dr. Mays believed education should not only expand the mind but also strengthen character and inspire individuals to serve humanity with purpose and integrity,” he said. “Through the establishment of the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair, Lander is proud to help preserve his remarkable legacy while encouraging future generations of students and scholars to embrace the transformative power of education and leadership.”

Witherspoon’s connection to sharing Mays’ powerful story is rooted in the numerous trips he has made with students and teachers to the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site since it opened in 2011.

Through his endowed chair position, which began in 2020, Witherspoon is engaged in a variety of activities each year, including teaching a Lander course titled, “Civil Rights & Benjamin Mays” (HIST 350), which explores Mays’ role as a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his influence on American society. Through their studies, Lander students have designed and built displays on Mays’ life and legacy that can travel to area schools, libraries and community events. Lander students also have helped judge the entries in the annual Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Essay Contest.

Witherspoon frequently delivers presentations, such as “It is a Calamity not to Dream: Life Lessons from Dr. Benjamin E. Mays,” which translate Mays’ historical significance into actionable life lessons for modern audiences.

“Lander University has been proud to partner with the Mays Historic Site to offer experiential learning opportunities for our students through internships that help them to know more about public history and historic preservation,” said Dr. Lucas McMillan, dean of Lander University’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

“Our many shared programs help our students and community to see the impact of Dr. Mays’ life and work, and I’m so glad that the Mays Endowed Chair allows Dr. Witherspoon to do public outreach with area schools to enable others to learn about Dr. Mays as an influential citizen of South Carolina,” he said. “I’m very proud that Dr. Witherspoon has been honored for his work, and that our entire University has also been recognized.”

The 2026 essay contest winners include:

• Middle school contest award recipients — first prize, Edie Woods, McCracken Middle School (Teacher: Alayna Harding); and second prize, Amelia Wideman, Edgewood Middle School (Teacher: Emily Rodriguez).
• High school contest award recipients — first prize, Katelyn Young, Greenwood High School (Teacher: Cinderella A. Thomas); second prize, Camden Williams, Ninety Six High School (Teacher: Christopher N. Long); and third prize Calli New, Abbeville High School (Teacher: Karis Gary).