J. Arthur Brown, Bill Saunders, and the Civil Rights Movement in Charleston

The Charleston Museum is honored to celebrate Black History in the Lowcountry, not only this month, but every month, with the completion of our permanent gallery exhibition, Beyond the Ashes: The Lowcountry’s New Beginnings. With a particular section dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement in Charleston, the display cases and oral history videos highlight the tireless work of individuals and organizations in Charleston’s recent past who strove for equal rights for all under the law.

Casework from “Beyond the Ashes: The Lowcountry’s New Beginnings,” now on view at The Charleston Museum.

Arthur Brown and Bill Saunders were two titans of the local Civil Rights movement in the mid to late 20th century, showcasing how different activist ideologies could work together for change. J. Arthur Brown was aligned with the work of leaders like Benjamin Mays and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who focused on nonviolent marches and demonstrations to accomplish their goals. Indeed, in his papers, found at the Avery Research Center, Brown often quoted these leaders, stating “If I don’t do it in my time, in whose time will I do it?” Bill Saunders also worked for change on the local level, keeping the Black community informed through his radio station, WPAL, as well as his Lowcountry Newsletter. However he found the nonviolent movement frustrating, and once stated in an oral history interview, “I only had one cheek, so I couldn’t turn it.” Saunders supported the work of Brown and other national nonviolence-focused Civil Rights Leaders, but felt he couldn’t be part of a situation where he couldn’t defend himself. 

Despite their differences in approach, Saunders and Brown worked together on the common cause of improving the lives of Black people within the broader Charleston community. They even collaborated in the formation of COBRA, the Committee on Better Racial Assurance, whose motto stated, “We shall not always plant while others reap.” Both men are represented in our permanent gallery display by their clothing, now a permanent part of the Historic Textiles Collection here at the Museum.

Shirt, Cap, and Folio, c. 1963. Gift of the J. Arthur and MaeDe Brown Family, 2024.

Briefcase, c. 1960. On loan from the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, College of Charleston.

This ensemble of a flat cap and short sleeve shirt was one of many worn by J. Arthur Brown while working to fight segregation in Charleston. According to family, when he was conducting community outreach he would often carry his papers in this folio from the Fielding Funeral Home. For more formal business meetings, Brown carried a hard-sided briefcase. We are fortunate to have the briefcase on loan from the Avery Research Center for African American History & Culture, College of Charleston.

Brown would eventually become president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1955 and the state branch of the same in 1960, serving until 1965. However he is perhaps best remembered for filing a pivotal lawsuit. In 1959, Brown et al v. School District 20 petitioned for his elder daughter Minerva to attend a White only school. Despite being 5 years past the verdict in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, by the Supreme Court of the United States, South Carolina schools were still segregated. They would remain so, as the court system dragged out the case for the next four years. It took so long, in fact, that Minerva graduated, and the case had to be transferred to Millicent, J. Arthur Brown’s younger daughter. It was finally won in 1963 and Millicent Brown, along with Jackie Ford, became the first Black students to integrate Rivers High School that fall.

Dr. Millicent Brown went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at the College of Charleston, a master’s degree in education from The Citadel, and a doctorate in U.S. History at Florida State University. She continues to be a community advocate and spokesperson for advancement in impoverished neighborhoods and communities of color throughout the South and the broader global community. We were very grateful to have her support and expertise as a consultant on Beyond the Ashes: The Lowcountry’s New Beginnings.

Jacket and Boots, 1980s. Gift of Henrietta Saunders, 2024.

Bill Saunders was an active voice in the Civil Rights movement in Charleston. His young life was shaped by members of the community like Esau Jenkins, who advocated for better schools in the Black community on Johns Island. Saunders often credited his first experiences of racism to his time in the army during the Korean War, and the disparity of treatment of Black and White GIs, not only overseas but upon returning home. 

As a young man, Saunders would associate with Jenkins for a time as a member of the Progressive Club, then with Septima Clark at the Highlander Folk School, all while maintaining a job at a mattress factory.  Frustrated with the nonviolent movement, Saunders took inspiration from leaders like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael, with more interest in organizing the community and taking positions in local government.

Alongside Mary Moultrie, Saunders was one of the leaders and principal mediator of the 1969 Medical College Hospital Strike to improve working conditions and increase pay for the nurses aides, orderlies, and other staff. Saunders would help position people within the strike, making sure that those who were arrested were taken care of, and even going to jail himself at one point. The strike was one of the most significant moments of Civil Rights history in Charleston, drawing national attention, including a visit from Coretta Scott King. Although the attempted 1199B Union was never formally recognized, the strike changed the environment for workers rights in Charleston, and increased local political involvement in the Black community.

By the late 1970s, Saunders was determined to make further progress through political action, and in 1980 he ran against Glenn McConnell for a South Carolina State Senate seat. His wife, Henrietta, encouraged him to polish his image for the race and would select stylish clothes for him to wear. Bill enjoyed Western style clothing and wore this set of cowboy boots for campaign events. Though his campaign was unsuccessful, Saunders continued to advocate for his community through COBRA, particularly on issues such as voter registration and support for those dealing with Sickle Cell Anemia.

The hard work and struggles of both J. Arthur Brown and Bill Saunders will never be forgotten here in the Lowcountry, and we are honored to tell their stories here at the Museum. We hope you will come to see Beyond the Ashes: The Lowcountry’s New Beginnings and experience this moment in history for yourself – not only the stories of Brown and Saunders, but of the many community members who worked together to improve Charleston.

Additionally, if you or your family have materials related to the Civil Rights movement, from the 1950s through the 1980s and beyond, please consider sharing your history with the Museum through object donations. We are eager to build our late 20th century collections, particularly with items like garments and accessories that lend a personal touch to the stories of Black peoples’ hard fought victories.

Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles February 2025

 

Select Bibliography

Brown v. School District No. 20, Charleston, South Carolina, 226 F. Supp. 819 (District Court, E.D. South Carolina 1963). Justia Law. “Brown v. School District No. 20, Charleston, South Carolina, 226 F. Supp. 819 (E.D.S.C. 1963),” January 28, 2025. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/226/819/2143122/.

Lowcountry Digital Library. “J. Arthur Brown Papers, 1937 – 1988.” Accessed January 27, 2025. https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/content/j-arthur-brown-papers-1937-1988/.

“One Family’s Constant Push for Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement and Beyond – Avery Research Center.” Accessed January 27, 2025. https://avery.charleston.edu/one-familys-constant-push-for-freedom-the-civil-rights-movement-and-beyond/.

Saunders, Bill. Civil Rights History Project. Interview by Dr. Kerry Taylor, June 9, 2011. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/afc/afc2010039/afc2010039_crhp0027_saunders_transcript/afc2010039_crhp0027_saunders_transcript.pdf.

Saunders, Bill. Southern Oral History Program: William Saunders. Interview by Kieran Taylor and Jennifer Dixon, June 17, 2008. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/sohp&CISOPTR=5750&filename=5792.pdf.

“William ‘Bill’ Saunders – Champions of Civil and Human Rights in South Carolina.” Accessed January 27, 2025. https://digital.library.sc.edu/exhibits/champions/volume-1-2/part-3/william-bill-saunders-part-nobody-said-nothing/..