From staff reports
The Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights is accepting students to its spring session, markingthe school’s 10th year of teaching civics, organizing strategies, and a people’s history of South Carolina to students of all ages and backgrounds.
This year, the school is partnering with Penn Center on St. Helena Island, which will be operating a satellite classroom from its campus for students in the area to attend the session live.
The 2025 session runs from March 3 through June 23, with classes meeting Monday evenings online and in-person at GROW in Columbia.
“It is an honor to partner with such an historic institution,” S.C. Progressive Network Executive Director Brett Bursey said in a media release. “We hope this will become a model for collaborating with allied groups across South Carolina.”
The S.C. Progressive Network launched the school in 2015. This is a full-circle moment for the Network, which held its first organizing meeting at Penn Center in 1996 and has returned there over the years for its statewide conferences.
“The Penn Center’s partnership with the Modjeska Simkins School continues Penn’s enduring legacy of providing educational and self-empowerment opportunities for the Carolina Lowcountry,” Penn Center Executive Director Robert L. Adams said. “Informed citizens, who are the cornerstone of American democracy, are nurtured by the rich intellectual experience and critical thinking skills offered by the Modjeska Simkins School. We are proud to extend the reach of such an important program.”
Bursey said, “We welcome anyone interested in understanding and better navigating our state’s social and political landscape. Whether you are a lover of history, an activist seeking ways to be more effective in your work, a retired person wanting to get involved in your community, or a transplant who wants to know the peculiar history of South Carolina, this course will benefit you.”
Robert Greene II, a professor of history at Claflin University who has served as the Modjeska School’s lead instructor since 2019, said, “The school remains a bulwark for truth against disinformation. At the Modjeska School, we believe in not only learning history for the sake of knowing our past, but learning how to think critically and how to think democratically. Contrary to popular belief, there is a tradition of human rights — exemplified by Modjeska Simkins herself — in South Carolina.
The curriculum, reflecting the Network’s state-based strategy, focuses on South Carolina, which continues to play an oversized role in our nation’s politics. The course material is ever-evolving to include the latest research and historical analyses. There is nothing like it, not just in South Carolina but nationally.
As a service to the larger community, the school also offers Deep Dive programs on Sunday afternoons during the session that are free and open to the public.
The course includes 16 evening classes, Sunday afternoon Deep Dives, and in-depth study guides. Tuition is based on a sliding scale, and limited full scholarships are available.
Classes meet Monday evenings on Zoom and in-person at GROW at 1340 Elmwood Avenue in Columbia.
For details about the school, the 2025 class schedule, or to apply, go to https://bit.ly/3CR0CEJ.
