With 2022 in the rearview, we wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who supported the Network this year by donating, volunteering, turning out, and keeping the faith in tough times.
Because of you, the Network was able to:
• complete renovation of our HQ, which is now fully wired and accessible, with a kitchen and a beer and wine license;
• monitor voting in all 46 counties during South Carolina’s midterm elections;
• complete the 7th annual session of the Modjeska Simkins School, graduating 29 students;
• surpass a GoFundMe goal to cover the cost of replacing the front window of our building after it was vandalized; and
• keep our quarterly commitment to clean our neighborhood through the city’s Adopt-a-Street program.
We are thrilled to see our newly renovated GROW building come to life with in-person meetings, classes, and events. After being separated during the pandemic, it has been wonderful to reconnect with old allies and new friends in a space that is all our own.
In September we held our first gathering, to launch the book Generation Know: Inside Columbia, South Carolina’s Radical Youth Movements 1968–1988. It is the fifth booklet we have published through grants from the Richland County Conservation Commission. We appreciate their continued support of our work to lift up the state’s lesser-known heroes and histories. You can order a copy here. Proceeds benefit the Modjeska School. Earlier books are free, and available at our office and online.
In September and October, we held a series of sessions to train volunteers to help with our election protection work, which the Network has spearheaded in South Carolina since 2008. During early voting and on Election Day, our volunteers circulated the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline number and monitored the polls. We have been invited to share our audit results and suggestions with the Legislative Audit Council, which was ordered to audit the 2022 election because of a proviso the uber-conservative Freedom Caucus slipped into the budget.
On Halloween, we resurrected the GROW tradition of throwing a Mutant Be-In. A ghastly time was had by all.
In November, GROW held its first jazz night, featuring the band Just Us. It has been filling the house on Monday nights ever since. The schedule will change in the new year to the first and third Thursdays, with an earlier start time of 7pm. No cover. Free snacks; beverages available for purchase.
On Dec. 5, we toasted the memory of Modjeska Simkins on her 123rd birthday. On the 16th we screened the recently restored documentary The Wobblies about the radical IWW union. Sara Williams and Arnold Karr opened and closed the evening with a few tunes from the Little Red Songbook. Our next Movie Night is on Jan. 17 at 7pm. We’ll watch Boogie Man, about SC political bad boy Lee Atwater.
In 2023, we will focus our attention on the Modjeska School, expanding its curriculum to include short courses, sessions for younger students, and programs for the public. Thanks to the school’s lead instructor, Dr. Robert Greene, and an impressive roster of guest speakers, the school continues to surpass our greatest expectations. Its value only increases with the accelerating assault public education and the teaching of history in South Carolina.
Our next full session will begin in late February and run through June. Once dates have been finalized, we’ll send notice that the application process is open.
To support the school, donate here. Funds will go toward student scholarships and teacher stipends.
What’s next?
With the building renovation complete, we are turning our attention to the exterior. Plans include landscaping, putting up a new sign, building a patio on the Marion Street side, and creating a hardscape buffer along the front of the building for privacy and protection. Want to help? We welcome donations here.
As we usher in the new year, we want to thank our members and allies who have helped build this community over 26 years. We are grateful, too, for our executive committee and transition team – Cecil Cahoon, April Lott, Burnie Gallman, and Russell Bannan — who have been retooling the organization’s form and function to meet the needs of a new generation. We’ll be sending out a progress report in the new year.
Finally, much love and appreciation to:
Michael Gooding and Richard Sylvester for their work renovating the building; Shannon Herin and James Carpenter for keeping our finances straight; Norman Miles for always stepping up to do the thankless tasks; Chris Gardner for his IT support and volunteer service; and longtime staffer Daniel Deweese, who is in New York studying at the New School until June, and is missed at the office.
Stay tuned for details on our Thunder and Lightning Awards dinner in February and retreat at Penn Center the first weekend in April.
Best wishes for a happy new year!
Brett and Becci