Not going to lie; it’s been a rough year. But if 2025 taught us anything, it’s the importance of connection and community. We offer this short review to remind you that we can thrive even in darkness.
In January, we gathered at the Big Apple in Columbia to mark the 10th year of the Modjeska Simkins School. The gala was a chance to celebrate this important milestone and recommit ourselves to the work of remembering who we are, where we’ve been, and the power of ordinary people to make change.
In March, the Modjeska Simkins School began its spring session, and for the first time offered students the option of participating at satellite sites in Sumter and at historic Penn Center in St. Helena. It was so successful that we are expanding on that model in 2026, adding partner sites in Lancaster, Orangeburg, and Pendleton. We are excited about broadening access to communities outside of Columbia, and working with them after classes end.
In April, GROW, our HQ, was vandalized for the second time, leaving considerable damage. Our friends rallied to cover the cost of repairs and to upgrade our security system. In 2026, we will make the building even more secure by remodeling the parking area to include barriers. We were moved by the support.
In May, we took a field trip to Orangeburg for a special program on Briggs v Elliott’s role in the landmark Brown v. Board case. The trip included a tour of the SC Civil Rights Museum’s new building, still under construction. Cecil Williams has done a beautiful job overseeing the creation of a first-class facility that will serve generations.
On June 10, friends and alumni of the Modjeska Simkins School marked the Zinn Education Project’s Teach Truth Day with a speak-out at the SC State House. See video clip.
July 31, on what would have been his 100th birthday, we joined friends and family of James E. Campbell at the Avery Research Center in Charleston to mark his extraordinary life with a day of teachings, discussions, and remembrances. Campbell was a longtime member of the SC Progressive Network, and was among the first to receive the organization’s Thunder and Lightning Award, in 1998. He served as a mentor to many and an inspiration to all who had the pleasure to work with him.
On June 28, the Modjeska Simkins School graduated 63 students, the largest class yet.
In July, we tabled at the Degenerate Arts Activist Fair at Stormwater Studios in Columbia, a four-day event organized by Jasper Project. Our friends at Jasper included an essay about GROW in their fall magazine, and have invited us to participate in their second Activist Fair, which kicks off Jan. 20.
In August, we added blues to the menu at GROW, building on the popularity of the jazz workshops we’ve been hosting since 2023. Led by world-class bluesman Cesar, the blues workshops have brought a whole new vibe to the corner of Elmwood and Marion. Now, every Thursday between 8 and 10 folks can come out to hear some of Columbia’s finest musicians. It’s free — for now. We may move to a GROW membership model in the coming year.
In October, many of our members and allies took part in the No Kings rallies across the state, joining some 7 million Americans in telling the administration we resist and condemn authoritarian rule. Several of our members were invited to speak at earlier rallies in Columbia and in Greenville.
In November, the Modjeska Simkins School was invited to participate in the SC Council of Social Studies conference in Greenville, where Dr. Robert Greene II made a presentation on the challenge of teaching history in these times. We recruited more than a dozen teachers at the symposium to participate free of charge in the 2026 session of the school. It is our way of investing in education.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, GROW held its first Friendsgiving, a casual gathering to mark our country’s tastiest and most complicated holiday. It was great fun, and may become a new tradition.
Over the spring semester, the school held a number of Deep Dives, Sunday programs on Zoom and at GROW that are open to students and the public. We welcomed such luminaries as nationally renowned civil rights attorney Armand Derfner and historian Dr. Vernon Burton, and authors Fergus Bordewich, Carolyn Click, and Dr. Justene Hill Edwards. We screened the 2014 film Scarred Justice, about the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, and the labor documentary Uprising of ’34, about the killings of striking workers at Honea Path, SC.
We maintained our quarterly commitment to Columbia’s Adopt-A-Street program by cleaning Marion Street between Elmwood and Taylor. Our thanks to the volunteers who help us keep our promises and make our neighborhood more beautiful.
We said goodbye to Gabbi Zurlo, who left just shy of a year on the job. We appreciate her time with us, and wish her well. We welcomed Nilanka Seneviratne to our board and Leisa Marie Greer to the GROW team. She used to sell ads for our newspaper POINT at the original GROW, so it’s a full-circle moment to have her return as our most talented volunteer.
Finally, some gratitude. We are indebted to all the musicians who bring GROW to life every Thursday, and grateful for the people who come to see them. It’s Columbia’s best-kept secret, but word is slowly spreading.
We thank the members of our hard-working board, who keep our books sound and our organization on track — all with good cheer. In photo, they are: (on Zoom) Kyle Criminger, James Felder, (standing) Chris Gardner, James Carpenter, Shannon Sylvester, Nilanka Seneviratne, Dr. Robert Greene II, (seated) Bernadette Hampton, Carol Singletary, Brett Bursey, and Cecil Cahoon.
And we thank the groups that meet at GROW to network and map plans, doing movement building at the grass roots. If you belong to a nonprofit whose values align with ours, keep us in mind as a potential gathering spot. Call 803-808-3384 or email network@scpronet.com for details.
Wishing you all a wonderful new year. Come see us!