South Carolina city names intersection in honor of historic black church
A city in South Carolina has renamed an intersection in honor of a historically African American church for its longstanding contributions to the civil rights movement.
Columbia officials agreed to rename the intersection of Gadsden Street and Washington Street in honor of Zion Baptist Church last month. The church held a ceremony celebrating the name change on Sunday.
The Columbia City Council also renamed a section of Washington Street “Columbia’s Historic Black Business District” to honor the black community’s economic contributions to the area.
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Zion Baptist Pastor M. Andrew Davis told The Christian Post that he was “grateful” for the decision to rename the square in honor of the church, calling it “a start in the right direction.”
“I feel a sense of adoration, admiration, and appreciation that the city of Columbia has acknowledged the impact of Zion Baptist Church,” Davis said. “The street naming is a glimpse of what happens when people let their light shine before others, and God will get the glory.”
Davis told CP that his church “has been the meeting place for” various civil rights causes, including advocating for voting rights and overturning Jim Crow laws.
Davis also noted that his congregation annually hosts a prayer service with the local chapter of the NAACP, which began in 2000 as a way to protest the Confederate flag that used to fly at the state Capitol.
While considering the renaming of the intersection to be “commendable,” Davis also told CP that he felt it was “just a start,” noting that “we currently have no black Americans that have been featured on U.S. currency.”
“We do know that Harriet Tubman is slated to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, but that will not take place until 2030,” he said, positing such ideas as introducing a $25 bill featuring Barack Obama or a $75 bill featuring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“What about closing the gap of healthcare disparities, what about closing the gap of home ownership disparities, what about providing funding for the preservation of black historical churches, museums and organizations?” he continued.
“The street naming is a start, but let's continue.”
In January, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund was giving out $4 million in grants to 31 historic black churches across the U.S.
"We created the Preserving Black Churches program to ensure the historic black church's legacy is told and secured. That these cultural assets can continue to foster community resilience and drive meaningful change in our society," said Brent Leggs, executive director of the AACHA Fund, in a statement earlier this year.
"We couldn't be more excited to honor our second round of grantees and ensure that African Americans — and our entire nation — can enjoy an empowered future built on the inspiring foundations of our past.”
