Telling the full story of African American Heritage in South Carolina
The WeGOJA Foundation works to document and promote African American heritage sites in South Carolina, like Zion Baptist Church in Columbia (pictured above, the 1929 congregation.) Supporting state historical markers, listings on the National Register of Historic Places, the Green Book of South Carolina and the new SC Preservation Toolkit, WeGOJA collaborates with civic, government and business leaders to Preserve Our Places in History.
The WeGOJA Foundation is a proud member of Together SC and supports the work of nonprofits across South Carolina.
For more information, contact Executive Director Dawn Dawson-House at WeGOJAexecdir@gmail.com.
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Happening Now!
WeGOJA Completes Study to Propose a New Rosenwald Schools Trail
In cooperation with the Conservation Voters of South Carolina, Rosenwald School groups and other major partners, the WeGOJA Foundation completed a two-year study on the feasibility of a new Rosenwald Schools Trail in South Carolina. Click button below for a synopsis and a link to the full study.
Special Notice to all Federal Grant Applicants:
Federal grants listed in the SC Preservation Toolkit are subject to new rules set forth by the current administration. A funding pause is in effect due to the administration’s interpretation of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). WeGOJA recommends reviewing each federal grant to determine its status, and then working directly with the federal agency proponent to determine whether your project qualifies for funding. If you have further questions or need further assistance, please consider local, state, or private granters listed in the Preservation Toolkit, or contact the WeGOJA Foundation at info@wegoja.org.
WeGOJA Launches Oral History Project for Historic African American Church
The WeGOJA Foundation has received $25,000 in grant funding and support to capture the memories of people in Cordesville, South Carolina, who are associated with historic Taveau Church. The oral history project will take place in the late summer through fall of 2024, and complements a full-scale restoration of the 19th-century church led by Preservation South Carolina.
WeGOJA receives Mellon Foundation Grant to Develop Preservation Toolkit
The WeGOJA Foundation has received a $750,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to grow its organizational capacity and to develop resources to help property owners and communities meet their preservation goals.
New film infuses Art and History into a curriculum-based lesson
The film “South Carolina African American History Through Our Eyes,” is an arts-infused lesson on African American history, told through a student’s discovery. The student, Marcus, an athlete, learns more about the depth and complexity of history as he reconciles his passion for the visual arts with everyday life. With the help of his teacher, Ms. Barnes, he learns, among many examples, that Edwin Augustus Harleston was a famous visual artist from Charleston who was a mentee of W.E.B. Dubois as he attended Clark University in Atlanta, and came back home to serve as the first president of the Charleston NAACP. The 24-minute film covers other undertold legacies and triumphs of the past.
The film is part of a project funded by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
South Carolina Releases Civil Rights Podcast Series
In collaboration with the WeGOJA Foundation, Discover South Carolina and the U.S. Civil Rights Trail have launched a podcast series on South Carolina’s role in the civil rights movement, and the places you can visit to engage with some of this history.
Called “A Legacy of Courage,” the three episodes outline events that helped push the nation into a civil rights crisis, and eventually led to the true movement in the mid- to late 20th century. It also points to historic sites, museums, markers, and other places where this history is interpreted and ready for visitors. Listen here.
Hard Copy Green Book of South Carolina Available!
The Green Book of South Carolina is a first-of-its-kind travel guide to the most tourist-friendly African American historic sites in the state. The publication is available on Amazon!
WeGOJA Foundation Launches Family Reunion Toolkit
The WeGOJA Foundation launched the South Carolina Family Reunion Toolkit. The website encourages planners to reconnect with family and rediscover heritage by incorporating visits to African American historic sites in their next reunion.
Donate to the WeGOJA Foundation!
Take Action! Help us continue to support the African American Heritage Commission in their mission to identify, document and share African American history in South Carolina. Whether it’s installing new historic markers, documenting extant Green Book sites like Ruth’s Beauty Parlor pictured at right, or any of our other initiatives, the projects are critical, and possible with your donation.
Connect with the history around you.
“We, today, stand on the shoulders of our predecessors who have gone before us.
We, as their successors, must catch the torch of freedom and liberty passed on to us by our ancestors. We cannot lose in this battle.”
- Benjamin Mays
Visit the Benjamin E. Mays’ birthplace located in Greenwood, SC.
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