Our city is rich in history + there are a lot of names to remember when it comes to that history. Here are some names of people who had a profound effect on the reshaping of Greenville before, during and following the Civil Rights Movement.
Jesse Jackson, a Greenville native and a graduate of the former Sterling High school, was highly influenced by baseball player Jackie Robinson. Jackson went on to become a civil rights activist, minister and served as a shadow U.S. Senator for the District of Columbia. His son, Jesse Jackson Jr., is the former U.S. House of Representative for Illinois’s 2nd District. Jackson helped organize + lead the march on the Greenville Municipal Airport; he was also involved in the Greenville Eight Sit-In at the Greenville County Public Library.
Pastor James Hall: Hall became the pastor at Springfield Baptist Church in 1956 (at the corner of McBee Avenue and McDaniel Avenue). He was just 25 at the time and was the chairman of the Greenville Chapter of Core (the Congress of Racial Equality). Hall organized the march at the Greenville Airport and also encouraged sit-ins at lunch counters, pray-ins at First Baptist Church and read-ins at the public library by the Greenville Eight. Hall really made the church the heart of the city’s African-American population. Hall left Springfield in 1963. The church burnt to the ground in the 1972. All that survived was the bell which still stands at the corner of McBee Avenue. With hard work, car washes + bake sales, the church was rebuilt.
Leola Robinson-Simpson also witnessed the speech of Jackie Robinson at the Memorial Auditorium and was highly inspired by his “soft-spoked but commanding attention” demeanor. Robinson-Simpson participated with Pastor Hall, Jesse Jackson and others in the march to the airport. She made a career in the public arena, and is today a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Greenville’s 25th District.
Mayor R. Cooper White Jr. (1969 - 71): White was a Moderate Republican, different than most S.C. political figures who were conservatives. He refused to endorse Republican Albert Watson for governor as Watson was known for fielding TV ads that featured scenes from Los Angeles riots. Event though Watson had the support of former Gov. Strom Thurmond, White’s criticism had a profound effect on SC politics. Many pulled back their support for Watson citing that White was supported by KKK + John Birch Society members. White instead supported John C. West, who went on to defeat Watson. West became the 109th Governor of South Carolina.
Our current mayor Knox White said Cooper White played “a major role in calming the waters during a mid-year order for school desegregation, reached out to the African-American community by forming the first biracial committee and contributed to our community’s success in making changes.” Before the schools were officially integrated, Cooper White invited every minister in Greenville County to a luncheon, asking them to preach a sermon on obeying the law. He also pushed for more parks in black neighborhoods.
