Cola SC 63 · Our Story Matters

Columbia, SC · Civil Rights

  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • Local Tourism
    • Contact Us
  • History
    • Civil Rights Timeline
    • Walking Tour Map
  • Share Your Story
    • Photo Identification
  • Events
    • Gallery
    • Media Resources

Before Rosa Parks

fleming-interior
Sarah Mae Flemming (second from left) is joined by attorneys Lincoln C. Jenkins and Matthew J. Perry. Julia Elizabeth King, who testified on Flemming’s behalf, stands next to her. The photograph was taken by John W. Goodwin, a Columbia area photographer. (Image courtesy of South Caroliniana Library )

Sarah Mae Flemming and the Integration of Public Transportation

On June 22, 1954, Sarah Mae Flemming, a 19-year-old African American native of Lower Richland County, boarded a public bus operated by South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (SCE&G). When a seat became available near the “whites only” section, Flemming sat down. After the bus driver ordered Flemming to move toward the rear of the bus, she attempted to depart from the front door, but the driver struck her in the abdomen. Injured, Flemming left the bus at the corner of Main and Washington Streets. With the aid of Civil Rights pioneer Modjeska Simkins and the NAACP, Flemming filed a lawsuit.

On July 14, 1955, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the principle applied to schools in the Brown v. Board decision could be expanded to public transportation. Flemming’s heroic actions desegregated Columbia’s city buses and provided an important legal precedent for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, inspired by the arrest of Rosa Parks.

Contact Us

Share Your Story

  • Photo Identification
  • Events

About Columbia SC 63

  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Local Tourism
  • Contact Us

About Cola SC 63

In January 2012, the mayors of seven southern cities agreed to a joint initiative recognizing and commemorating the 50th anniversary of 1963 – the height of the American Civil Rights Movement. By telling these stories in unison, the goal was to assemble a more complete record of the movement that … Learn More

Share Your Story

Columbia’s Civil Rights story is YOUR story. Too many of Columbia’s pivotal moments and landmark decisions have been forgotten. Too many of our stories have never been heard. A complete rendering of South Carolina's Civil Rights Movement and its dramatic impact on the quest for democracy and … Learn More

Recent News

Kids Civil Rights Walking Tour!!

2018 Civil Rights Walking Tour Schedule

Learn More

Historic Columbia Foundation
City of Columbia
Civil Rights Movement 50 Years
The University of South Carolina
Columbia Metropolitan CVB

© Historic Columbia Foundation. All Rights Reserved. | Website by Northbound Design™

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter