Ward One Organization

It is with profound sadness that we learn of the passing of Rev. Dr. Simon P. Bouie, one of South Carolina’s most important civil rights pioneers, a distinguished minister, and a cherished friend of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research and Columbia SC 63: Our Story Matters.

Born and raised in Columbia, Rev. Bouie belonged to a generation that transformed our city, our state, and our nation. As a student at Booker T. Washington High School and Allen University, he emerged as a courageous leader in the struggle for civil rights. In March 1960, he and fellow student activist Talmadge Neal challenged segregation at an Eckerd’s Drugstore lunch counter in downtown Columbia. Their arrest ultimately led to the landmark United States Supreme Court decision Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964), a case that helped advance the cause of justice and equal protection under the law.

Read the full statement from Executive Director Dr. Bobby Donaldson here: https://civilrights.sc.edu/statement-on-the-passing-of-rev-dr-simon-p-bouie-1940-2026/

SC early voting begins with record-breaking turnout. Many voters say redistricting is why. • SC Daily Gazette U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who holds SC's only reliably blue seat at the center of the redistricting fight, urged voters to keep their momentum.