As 2020 begins drawing to a close, I wanted to raise awareness about an extraordinary resource available to the people of our state: the South Carolina African American History Calendar, which has been in publication for 31 years and counting! If you’re not familiar with the Calendar, it is a project spearheaded by the South Carolina Department of Education which chronicles key dates and events in South Carolina’s African American history. Each month honors an outstanding individual who has made a significant impact on our state and celebrates their achievements and legacy. The Calendar is available to the general public and distributed each year throughout schools and community centers in South Carolina to inspire our youth and introduce them to African American role models with local ties. That being said, I would say it is an equally valuable educational resource for adults!

Looking through my 2020 Calendar, I was excited to see that the featured Honoree for the upcoming month is the Taylor family. The Taylor family has operated the Taylor Brothers Construction Company since the 1930s, distinguishing themselves in the Midlands for four generations. The current generation of Taylor brothers happen to be friends of mine, and it is wonderful to see them receive this recognition. Their work is extremely impressive and well-known in the Midlands region, to include projects such as the Darla Moore School of Business and the new facility of my alma mater, University of South Carolina School of Law, located in downtown Columbia.

I would encourage you to take a few minutes to visit the Calendar’s website, where you can read about the incredible accomplishments of all of the individuals who were recognized in 2020. While you’re at it, the 2021 Calendar and Honorees were unveiled this week, so you’re welcome to take a sneak peek at what next year has in store and request a copy of the 2021 Calendar!