On January 15, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), in collaboration with its community partners, hosted the unveiling of the 2025 South Carolina African American History Calendar at the Koger Center for the Arts in downtown Columbia.
 
This year's calendar honors the Lasting Legacies of the ‘Emanuel Nine’.
 
Nearly a decade ago, eight parishioners and their pastor were gunned down in their church by a person fueled by the poison of racial hatred. Those who were senselessly murdered that evening became known as the ‘Emanuel Nine’. They were honored in the 2017 edition of this same calendar.
 
This year, we honor their lasting legacy by highlighting their family members. Days after the shooting, in the face of unimaginable evil, the families of the ‘Emanuel Nine’ displayed extraordinary strength and faith by choosing love and forgiveness over hatred. Their powerful words and acts resonated across the nation and became a profound testament to the enduring power of grace and compassion. This moment, serves as a cornerstone of their legacy, reminding us all of the capacity for hope and unity, even in the darkest of times
 
This 2025 edition of the calendar shifts its focus from biographical details to the deeply personal reflections of the honorees themselves. Each individual shared heartfelt stories that illuminated their journeys of grace, resilience, and hope in the face of loss over the last decade. Their words offer a moving testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit and the transformative power of faith and love.
 
This year’s Honorees include:
Malcom Graham, brother of Mrs. Cynthia Graham Hurd
Alana Grant, granddaughter of Reverend Daniel Simmons, Sr.
Jennifer Pinckney, widow of Emanuel AME Pastor and State Senator, the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney
Eliana Pinckney, daughter of the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney
Malana Pinckney, daughter of the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney
Reverend Sharon Risher, daughter of Ethel Lee Lance
Polly Sheppard, survivor of the shooting at Mother Emanuel
Rose Simmons, daughter of Reverend Daniel Simmons, Sr,.
Chris Singleton, son of Reverend Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
Reverend Anthony Thompson, widower of Myra Singleton Quarles Thompson
 
Reflecting on the resilience and hope embodied by this year’s honorees, State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver shared, “We have all witnessed, in the testimonies of our honorees, living monuments of unshakable faith and indomitable hope. Monuments deeply rooted in the rich, nourishing soil of love.”

First established in 1989 by Southern Bell (now AT&T), the 12-month calendar profiles individuals from across the state who have had a positive, compelling impact on South Carolina and, often, across the country.

Thousands of calendars are printed and distributed to schools to shine a light on South Carolina's extraordinarily rich African American history. The biographies and timeline of important dates printed in the calendar are also preserved online and thanks to accompanying lesson plans, are used by educators from across the state in classroom instruction.

In addition to the South Carolina Department of Education, the sponsors who make the calendar possible include AT&T, Dominion Energy, South Carolina ETV, and the University of South Carolina.

The 2025 calendar will be available online and members of the public will be able to download the calendar electronically or submit orders for hard copies. For more information about previous editions of the calendar, including biographies of past honorees and resources for educators, please visit SCAfricanAmerican.com.

You can watch the full ceremony here.