Page 6A • The People-Sentinel • Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Black History Month
Celebrating a Proud Heritage
Black History Firsts 1922
1947
1967
Bessie Coleman
Jackie Robinson
Thurgood Marshall
Became the first female AfricanAmerican Pilot.
Became the first African-American Major League Baseball player.
Became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.
Do you know your black history facts?
Barnwell ‘Doin’ the Charleston’ The ‘Charleston’ dance and the author have ties to Barnwell County
1. Who was the first African American man to hold the World Heavyweight Champion boxing title? 2. In what year did he earn this title? 3. What famous AfricanAmerican developed over 300 different products from peanuts? 4. Who was the first AfricanAmerican man elected to the United States Senate? 5. In what year was he elected?
Answers: 1) Jack Johnson, 2) 1908, 3) George Washington Carver, 4) Hiram Rhodes Revels, 5) 1870
Inspiration “I detest racialism because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a Black man or a White man.” Nelson Mandela
Mark Jones Susan C. Delk Managing Editor susan.delk@morris.com
One of the hottest and maybe the first dance craze, the Charleston, has ties to Barnwell County and so does a new book. Rev. Daniel Jenkins, a freed slave from Barnwell, moved to Charleston where he opened an ophanage for African-American children. Without much local support, Rev. Jenkins needed
income for the orphanage. The children of the orphanage had learned to play musical instruments and Rev. Jenkins took the show on the road as a fundraising campaign. A t a p e r f o rmance in New York, the children’s “Geechie steps” were transformed into what would become known as the Charleston. ‘Doin’ the Charleston’ is a book about the history of the “Black roots of American Popular Music and the Jenkins Orphanage Legacy.” Its author also has ties to Barnwell County. Mark Jones lived in Barnwell for several years and graduated from Barnwell High School in 1977. Jones will return to Barnwell Feb. 9 for an Black History Month presentation at the Barnwell County Museum on his latest book, ‘Doin’ the Charleston.’ Jones is the author and editor of six books and is a historian and tour guide currently based in Charleston. Jones will present a program on his latest book at 3 p.m. Feb. 9. “The history of the Roaring 20s cannot be discussed without the Charleston,” Jones said in an email. “I spent five-
years researching the book,” he said. This included traveling to London for research, talking to jazz historians and musicians from six countries, and collecting 400 images and songs. “The book details a South Carolina legacy that most people are unaware of, and ... it’s just a great story! I am a writer and tour guide because I love telling stories and this is one of the best ones I get to tell,” Jones said. “I love the audience’s reaction to several of the “story twists” as they come along. I’m waiting for Denzel Washington to volunteer to play the role of Rev. Daniel Jenkins. What a movie it would make!” Jones exclaimed. “My first two books, Wicked Charleston, Vol I and II grew out of my research as a Charleston tour guide. I was looking for tidbits of history to use on my tours and uncovered a treasure trove of unsavory stories dealing with murder, prostitution and political shenanigans,” Jones said. “Books three and four, South Carolina Killers & Palmetto Predators, were collections of South Carolina’s most notorious murder cases of the 20th century. Book five was Doin the Charleston and book six was a volume I edited in October 2013 called Kingdom By The Sea:
Edgar Allan Poe’s Charleston Tales.” Jones’ father, J.R. Jones, was a Methodist minister at Barnwell UMC from 1972-1977, and his mother Ruth worked at the Barnwell County Hospital. “I had the great fortune of living across the street from Mrs. Louise Mazursky on Washington Street (and the greater fortune to have her as my Advanced Composition teacher for two years in HS); she was my mentor who inspired me into becoming a writer and historian,” Jones said. Jones called living in Barnwell “some of the best years of my life.” For more information, visit www.markjonesbooks.com.
Rev. Daniel Jenkins
Williston School Distict 29 Dr. Tom Siler, Superintendent 12255 Main Street Williston, South Carolina 29853 Telephone: 803-266-7878 “Expect the Best” #1001690310 (2col, 3.42in x 3in) 02/03/2014 13:29 EST
TOWN OF WILLISTON Mayor Jason W. Stapleton Councilman Dewayne Cagle Councilman Sammie Baxley Councilman Chris Rivers Councilman Eric Moody Councilman Brett Williams Councilman Scott Valentine Town Administrator Kenny Cook #1001690309 (2col, 3.42in x 2in) 02/03/2014 21:37 EST
The People-Sentinel • Wednesday, February 5, 2014 • Page 7A
ReflectingBack, LookingForward 1929-1968
1864-1943
1903-1986
Martin Luther King Jr.
George Washington Carver
Ella Baker
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.”
“Give light and people will find the way.”
Teaching hasn’t stopped for retired Kline teacher jonathan vickery Staff Writer jonathan.vickery@morris.com
Eliza Cave has used the lessons she’s learned the past 100 years to help those around her, and she doesn’t plan to stop as she starts her second century of life. As the daughter of a farmer, those lessons began from birth - Jan. 3, 1914. She and her 11 siblings helped their parents, John and Julia Myers, with chores around their Allendale County farm, including picking peas. “I learned how to be honest and work for an honest living,” Cave said of her childhood. After graduating high school, Cave attended Morris College in Sumter. Though she wanted to study business, the college was not accredited for that program at the time, so she chose to major in general education. In 1938, Cave became the first in her family to graduate from college.
Eliza Cave (seated, center) celebrated her 100th birthday Dec. 27, a few days early, with family and friends. Pictured with her are her children and their spouses: Wilbur and Janice Cave, Charles and Susan Cave, and Wilma and Charles Lee.
She was in rare company as a female graduate since only about 3.8 percent of women and 1.2 percent of African-American women age 25 and older had college degrees in 1940. Cave began her 32-year career in education, all of which was spent in Allendale County, as a teacher in the Sycamore community. She later became principal of the school which housed all grades. She went on to teach in Fairfax and at the Allendale County Training School, a school that taught skills like farming, carpentry and homemaking. “People then didn’t let their children get by like they do now,” said Cave, who knew most of her students and their families f ro m c h u rc h a n d c o m munity functions. “Parents took the side of the teacher.” Among her hundreds, if not thousands of former students were two of her three children. “I had to be tougher with them,” said Eliza Cave with a smile. “She was a little more
demanding of us,” agreed Wilbur Cave, her oldest son. Wilbur has a twin sister, Wilma C. Lee of Houston, Texas, and one brother, Charles Cave, also of Houston. In the 1970s, Cave witnessed firsthand the int eg rat ion of b lack and white schools. While there were challenges, she said it wasn’t anything that cooperation couldn’t straighten out. “Together we stand, divided we fall,” said Cave. Looking back, Cave is happy with her career choice. She still has former students come up to her, which Cave said “means a lot to me.” Cave retired in 1975, but filled in as a substitute teacher for a year or two until her husband, Rev. Lucius Cave, became ill. He was a United Methodist pastor in Barnwell, Allendale, Bamberg and Orangeburg counties, including in Kline. They were married for 30 years, until his death in 1981. Also important to Cave is her faith in God.
Folk Funeral Home, Inc. and Crematory 170 N. Elko Street P.O Box 367 Williston, S.C 29853 E-mail: folkfuneralhome@tds.net Website: www.folkfuneralhome.com
Billy A. Williams, Jr. Billy A. “Brett” Williams, III Letitia W. Stillinger
Phone: (803)266-3434 (803)266-7454 Fax: (803)266-5400
#1001690032 (2col, 3.42in x 2in) 02/04/2014 10:04 EST
“Our faith was the number one priority, education was a close second,” said Wilbur Cave of his parents’ values. They taught him and his siblings to respect others, work hard, and do the best job they can. “All of us are people of God. We need to live a life worthy of representing God. Live the best life you can and do all you can for all the people you can,” said Cave. She said if people follow that advice, everything else will fall into place. “Life is what you make it. I tried to make it the best life I could,” said Cave. The impact she’s had on those around her was evident during her 100 th birthday party, celebrated a few days early on Dec. 27, 2013. A crowd of family, friends and former students gathered in Kline to celebrate Cave for her life of service. She said she was surprised to see so many people there to honor her, many of whom brought gifts, including five people who gave her one
Eliza Cave dollar for every year of her life. This showed her that “sometimes they care more about you than you think,” she said. Wilbur said it’s no surprise to him because his mother has always helped others.
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1920
HELPING GENERATIONS OF LOWCOUNTRY FAMILIES SINCE 1920. A tradition of independent community banking. www.ebanksc.com ¿ BAMBERG ¿ BARNWELL ¿ BLACKVILLE ¿ COTTAGEVILLE ¿ DENMARK ¿ EDISTO ISLAND ¿ EHRHARDT ¿ RIDGEVILLE ¿ SPRINGFIELD-SALLEY ¿ WALTERBORO ¿ WILLISTON #1001692393 (2col, 3.42in x 2in) 02/03/2014 16:32 EST
While she doesn’t complain about her life, Cave wants more for her family, including three children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. “I’d like for them to have more than I’ve been blessed with,” she said.
Jonathan Vickery/Staff Writer
Eliza Cave pictured in her home Feb. 1 following an interview with The PeopleSentinel.