Mayor Benjamin, ColumbiaSC63, Historic Columbia and Richland Library to host Bring Your Own History (BYOH)
April 23, 2017
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, ColumbiaSC63, Richland Library and Historic Columbia will provide residents of the Edgewood community the opportunity to archive their pieces of the neighborhood’s history on April 29.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on April 29 at Second Nazareth Baptist Church (2336 Elmwood Ave) in the Bowman Auditorium.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Edgewood to not only ensure we don’t lose any bit of history but also use what’s collected for the purposes of the library’s new location,” said Mayor Benjamin. “There are so many incredible stories, photos and works in peoples’ homes that have never been shared with the world; we want this project to compile these pieces of history so they aren’t forgotten.”
The event, Bring Your Own History (BYOH), is an opportunity for Edgewood residents to share old photos, old documents, etc. that are essential to the neighborhood’s story. Once the donations are collected, some of the selected pieces will be housed in Richland Library’s new Edgewood location and some will be archived in the library’s “Midlands Memories” collection.
“Columbia SC 63 is very pleased to join Mayor Benjamin and community partners in capturing and documenting new chapters in the history of our city,” said Dr. Bobby Donaldson. “This is an opportunity to fill in missing details and a chance to illuminate untold stories about families, neighborhoods and institutions throughout Columbia.”
Robin Waites, Historic Columbia’s executive director, said, “Documenting the stories of our residents is a vital component of preserving Columbia’s history. Everyone has a story and everyone’s story deserves to be told. We hope this project will allow individual experiences and memories to live on for future generations.”
Having local residents document memories, photos and artifacts is important to understanding the history of an area,” said Debbie Bloom, Walker Local and Family History Center Manager. “Richland Library looks forward to telling the story of the Edgewood community through the eyes and ears of the people who live there. It’s an initiative that we hope to continue as a new Richland Library location returns to the Edgewood community in 2018.”
On-site at the event will be portable scanners, which will make a copy of the residents’ pieces and scan them into the library’s system.
For information, please contact Lauren Harper at [email protected].
About ColumbiaSC63
In January 2012, the mayors of seven southern cities agreed to a joint initiative recognizing and commemorating the 50th anniversary of 1963 – the height of the American Civil Rights Movement. By telling these stories in unison, the goal was to assemble a more complete record of the movement that changed America.
For Columbia, SC, this undertaking was especially important and extraordinarily valuable. In the decades leading up to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black South Carolinians waged an intense campaign for self-determination and equality. But the stories of their contributions were lost or forgotten in the decades since.
Columbia SC 63 is comprised of a diverse coalition of community leaders, educators, students and others. Its mission is to gather, preserve and showcase images, artifacts, and testimony to ensure that the deeper, multifaceted story of the struggle for freedom and justice in our city is told.
About Historic Columbia
Historic Columbia is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Columbia and Richland County’s historic and cultural heritage.
Historic Columbia works closely with city and county officials to protect structures with historical significance and places that matter to our community.
Historic Columbia supports and protects the historical and cultural heritage of Columbia and Richland County through advocacy, education and preservation. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube for more details.
