South Carolina’s African American history calendar will feature A’ja Wilson, Arthur Gregg
Wilson, widely regarded the best player in the WNBA, and Gregg, the first living person in modern history to have an Army post named after him, have contributed greatly to South Carolina history.
The 2024 South Carolina African American History Calendar will feature two Black people who have achieved great success in their native state and beyond.
According to the Victoria Advocate, WBNA star A’ja Wilson and retired Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg, who, in 1977, became the first African-American in the U.S. Army to reach the rank, are among a list of honorees that also includes a historic court case, an influential couple and eight others who have enhanced South Carolina’s history.
“The 2024 South Carolina African American History Calendar is one filled with inspiring stories of the extraordinary impact esteemed sons and daughters of our beloved Palmetto State have made locally, nationally, and even globally,” said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver, the Advocate reported.
The Las Vegas Aces selected Wilson as the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, and the four-time All-Star and two-time MVP has arguably proven herself to be the best player in the WNBA.
When she’s off the court, the South Carolinian makes it a point to shed light on racial injustices, impairments and her experience as a Black woman in America, theGrio previously reported.
Gregg is the first living person in modern history to have an Army post named after him. In April, Fort Lee in Virginia, originally named after confederate General Robert E. Lee, became Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of Gregg and late Lt. Col. Charity Adams, a Black woman.
The Congressional Naming Commission, formed in January 2021 to remove monikers and markers linked to the confederacy and confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War, said they chose Gregg and Adams for their inspirational leadership and significant services to the U.S. Army.
Mary McLeod Bethune will grace the cover of the 2024 edition of the calendar, which Southern Bell, currently known as AT&T, created in 1989 to celebrate individuals who have positively impacted South Carolina and, often, the country.
In addition to Wilson and Gregg, Brown v. School District No. 20, Charleston; Jackie Whitmore, John Scott Jr., Clifton Newman, Leola Robinson, Lonnie Randolph, Mac Arthur Goodwin, Modie and DeLaris Risher, Tommy Preston, Jr. and Wilhelmina Johnson are also featured in the 12-month profiles.
Thousands of calendars are printed and distributed to schools to highlight South Carolina’s extraordinary African-American heritage. The biographies and timelines of significant events shared in the calendar are also archived online and used in statewide classroom instruction.
The initiative has evolved into a virtual hall of fame over the past three decades, garnering interest from around the country, according to the Advocate.
“With each page turned,” Weaver noted, “my hope for readers is that they are encouraged and motivated to create positive change in their communities – just like our featured honorees have done in their lives.”
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