WYFF News 4 shares local facts about Black History Month during February

Black History Month is here, and during February, WYFF News 4 Today will feature a Black History “Fact of the Day.”We’re spotlighting African American history in the Upstate of South Carolina, western North Carolina and northeast Georgia on Monday through Friday beginning at 4:30 a.m. We will update this page daily to include the newest “Fact of the Day.”Don’t forget to watch WYFF News 4 Today every Monday through Friday beginning at 4:30 a.m.Click here to watch live. 2025Feb.4 Dr. Margaree Seawright Crosby: Dr. Margaree Seawright Crosby was the first black woman to become a tenured professor at Clemson University’s college of education. She was also one of “The Greenville 8”. A group of black students were arrested for attempting to read books in the “whites-only” Greenville County library in 1960. Crosby was also the first female member of the board of trustees at the Greenville Hospital System. She died last year at the age of 82.2024Feb. 29Upcountry History Museum: The Upcountry History Museum in Greenville has unveiled a new exhibit celebrating the work of nearly 50 black artists.Feb. 28OJ’s Diner: OJ’s diner was recently named one of the 15 best in Greenville by Southern Living. The diner opened in 2005 and was formerly known as Ms. McBee’s Diner.Feb. 27Elliot’s Fashion: Elliot’s Fashion has been around for 7 years. It started as a men’s clothing store in Spartanburg. Now the store has a location in Greer for women’s clothing that sells a variety of African attire.Feb. 26Dr. Frank Clark: Dr. Frank Clark is the new President of the Greenville County Medical Society. He was sworn in earlier this year. Leadership records don’t date back to the society’s inception in 1891, but Dr. Clark is believed to be the society’s first Black President. Feb. 23Carolyn Galloway: Carolyn Calloway is the first woman and first African-American in Anderson to be appointed as an associate judge. The Pendleton native has been practicing family and criminal law since 1983.Feb. 22Phillis Wheatley Community Center: The Phillis Wheatley Community Center has been serving Greenville for more than 100 years. While it was founded as a social and academic center for Black women, it has grown to become an epicenter for all people and every generation.Feb. 21The Brook at Brookstone: Joshua Knuckles is the co-owner of The Brook at Brookstone. It is a fine dining restaurant at the Brookstone Golf Course in Anderson County.Feb. 20Mayberry Park: The city of Greenville is working to build a new baseball facility named Mayberry Field at Unity Park. The ballpark will sit in the area where the former Mayberry Park was. The park served as Greenville’s first and only segregated park for Black children for several decades. The former park opened in 1925 with an athletic field, playground and small community center. Organizers hope to open the new ballpark in the fall of 2024.Feb. 19Michael Sibert 2024 SC Chef Ambassador: Chef Michael Sibert, of Greer, has been named one of three 2024 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors. The Chef Ambassador Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. It recognizes South Carolina chefs who highlight the state’s culinary traditions and agriculture.Feb. 16NoWorries Academy: Karl Reed has a decorated background as a wrestler and mixed martial artist. In March of 2023, he decided he wanted to give back in the form of opening up NoWorries Academy in Woodruff. Reed was part of the inaugural class of the YMA Cares business incubator. Since the academy’s inception, Reed has coached numerous athletes who are finding success in their respective avenues of combat and grappling.Feb. 15Mable Owens Clark: Mable Owens Clark was honored at the statehouse last year with a preservation service award. The award recognizes projects that make exemplary contributions to the advancement of historic preservation. Mable Clark kept her promise to her mother to never let the historically Black Soapstone Baptist Church in Pickens County close. Clark is well known for her fish fry fundraisers that helped keep the church afloat. She and several groups joined together to create a conservation easement to ensure the property would not be developed commercially, thus preserving the church for years to come.Feb. 14Freedom Fighters Upstate: The Freedom Fighters Upstate South Carolina is a nonprofit that the leader says is working to make a difference in the upstate and give a voice to the voiceless.Feb. 13Greenville Black History Bus Tours: The city of Greenville started giving people in the community the opportunity to take a tour through history. The city teamed up with GreenLink to host Black History bus tours in honor of Black History Month. The tour stops at 14 iconic locations of Black History in the city of Greenville.Feb. 12Glenis Redmond: In the summer of 2023, Glenis Redmond was named a national “2023 poet laureate fellow.” She is one of 23 poets nationwide to receive the honor from The Academy of American Poets and received a 50-thousand grant with the fellowship – for personal development and to promote the arts locally. The grant money allows her to expand her passion to put up more “little free libraries” throughout the county and for her to promote more for the arts in our area. Now, Redmond is partnered with the Peace Center in Greenville to bring together past and present poets laureate for a performance this coming May.Feb. 9Danielle Brooks: Greenville County native Danielle Brooks has been nominated for multiple awards, including an Oscar, for her role in “The Color Purple.”Feb. 8Wholy Smoke Family Restaurant: The owners of a barbecue family restaurant in Mauldin say serving their food is a way to honor their culture. Father-son duo John Willy and James Hester run the Wholy Smoke Family Restaurant off West Butler Road, which, they said, is a source of pride for them.Feb. 7Miss South Carolina Jada Samuel: Greenville native and University of South Carolina alumni Jada Samuel was named the 86th Miss South Carolina. She is the fourth Black woman to be crowned in the pageant’s history.Feb. 6Kitty Black Perkins: 2023 was all about Barbie, and one of the brand’s key designers is from the Upstate. Kitty Black Perkins is from Spartanburg and worked for Mattel for nearly 30 years. Back in 1980, she designed the first Black Barbie. Her work led to more diversity within the brand itself. Perkins also designed several of Barbie’s most iconic outfits, including the “Day to Night” Barbie that was featured in the 2023 film. Perkins was responsible for more than 100 designs a year, amounting to over one-fifth of all designs for Barbie. Perkins also received the Doll of the Year award, which is the industry’s highest honor.Feb. 5Greenville County District 25: The only majority-minority district in Greenville County celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023.Feb. 2HBCU MLK Day Unity Invitational: The inaugural tournament was held in Greenville in January. The four-day invitational celebrates unity, community and collegiate hoops. It also commemorates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while showcasing basketball teams from historically Black colleges and universities.Feb. 1A.J. Whittenberg: Abraham Jonas Whittenberg was a pioneer for civil rights in Greenville. He served as the president of the Greenville NAACP, and he fought for his daughter to be one of the first students to desegregate Greenville schools in 1964.

Fuente