Architecture and Civil Rights Intersect at Ribbon Cutting for South Carolina Center for Architecture
- CUBNSC
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
By Javar Juarez, Editor-in-Chief, Columbia Urban Broadcast Network
Original Story: 08/01/2025
On Friday August 1, I witnessed something that reminded me why history and progress must always walk hand in hand. At 1530 Main Street, Columbia celebrated the ribbon cutting of the South Carolina Center for Architecture, presented by AIA South Carolina and the South Carolina Architectural Foundation. This new center is more than a beautiful space — it is a living monument to resilience, struggle, and triumph.
Dr. Bobby Donaldson, Associate Professor of History and Executive Director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at USC, reminded us why this site is sacred. On May 14, 1960, two courageous students — Reverend Simon P. Bouie of Allen University and Talmadge Neal of Benedict College — sat at a whites-only lunch counter inside this very building, then an Eckerd’s Drug Store. For daring to order a simple cup of coffee and a hamburger, they were arrested, tried, and convicted. Their defiance led to the landmark Supreme Court case Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964).
Their convictions stained the record until October 2024, when the Richland County Courthouse finally expunged them — a vindication far too long delayed. Talmadge Neal is no longer with us, but at age 85, Rev. Bouie stood in the flesh today, still preaching, still teaching, still fighting. As Dr. Donaldson put it:
“Today is more than simply cutting a ribbon. It’s cutting the silence of an important, critical, and transformative chapter in our state’s and our nation’s history.”
Also in attendance were Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, Councilman Peter Brown, and many others who recognized the weight of this moment.
For me, it was vital to bring along a young man whose future embodies the very intersection of architecture and justice. Christian Gibbs, a protégé from the Young Men United mentoring program (supported by United Way), joined me for this historic day. Young Men United equips young men in Columbia with mentorship, training, and guidance to prepare them for meaningful careers.
Christian, a budding architect with a dream of studying at Clemson University, first showed his passion while working on the Innovation Center at Word of God Church — a partnership I helped build between the church and YMU. Needless to say, he walked away with more than he expected: not only conversations with South Carolina’s top architects but also a rare chance to stand in the presence of living history. He was photographed with Rev. Bouie himself — a reminder that his path forward is built on the courage of those who came before him.
This was not just a ribbon cutting. It was a bridge — connecting Columbia’s built environment to its civil rights legacy, linking mentorship to opportunity, and ensuring that the stories of our past continue to shape a more inclusive, more resilient future.
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