To Serve My People: Modjeska Monteith Simkins and the Local Roots of Activism in Columbia, South Carolina

Known as the “Mother of the South Carolina Civil Rights Movement, Mary Modjeska Monteith Simkins was a key figure in the South Carolina Civil Rights Movement. Simkins, described as a sharp – witted, tart-tongued woman, displayed leadership through many facets of the movement, including healthcare, civil rights, and racial justice. “To Serve My People” examines Simkins’ commitment to the betterment of the African American community in Columbia, South Carolina, through several leadership positions which she held. Her dedication to Black healthcare is evident through her role as the campaign director of the Good Samaritan Waverly Hospital Campaign Fund. In the 1960s, Simkins became the public relations director for the Richland County Citizens Committee, where she worked to desegregate the Palmetto State Hospital that housed Black patients. Finally, in 1966, Simkins launched her campaign for Columbia City Council as an assertion of Black political power in the face of systemic disenfranchisement. The commitment of Modjeska Monteith Simkins serves as a testament of her leadership and the power of community organizing. Further, this paper highlights the importance of Black women’s activism at the local levels of the Civil Rights Movement.