2023 African American history calendar celebrates opening of International African American Museum

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina Department of Education on Tuesday will be unveiling its 34th annual African American History Calendar.

The Calendar was first launched in 1989. It’s designed to assist students in learning more about the contributions of African Americans who have connections to the state.

Derek Phillips with the SC Department of Education says this year’s theme celebrates the highly anticipated opening of the International African American Museum.

The calendar will feature different artifacts that will be displayed throughout the museum giving visitors and tourists an inside look at what to expect.

Phillips says there will be 16 diverse honorees featured in the 2023 calendar. There will be detailed information on who these people were and the impact they had on the state and the nation.

The SC Department of Education uses the information in the calendar and applies it to the state’s social studies standards.

“It’s really special to be able to share the knowledge and just the history with students in the classroom, so it goes beyond the calendar itself,” Phillips says.

The honorees are selected by the public and then reviewed by the SC Department of Education’s planning committee.

If you’re interested in submitting an honoree for the 2024 calendar, click here.

Tuesday’s unveiling starts at 7 p.m. at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia. To tune in via live stream, click here.

Officials say a digital calendar will be released later this week for those who can’t make it to Tuesday’s event.

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