Penn Community Services and Martin Luther King, Jr.

As regular readers of this blog know, Beaufort District is a uniquely historic place with a broad, multifaceted story to tell and share. You may have visited the Beaufort County sites in the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. Some historians refer to Reconstruction as the "first Civil Rights Movement" because of its ideals and the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution. Not only did Beaufort District play a key role during the "First Civil Rights Movement" during Reconstruction, it played a role in the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century too. 

For 13 years, one man had the most recognized face and most resounding voice advocating for equal rights for all United States citizens. From the age of 26 until his assassination in 1968 at age 39 years old, Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for fair and equal application of all US laws and full benefits of citizenship for minorities. 

Many residents are unaware that Martin Luther King, Jr. and other members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference  (SCLC) used to visit Penn Center (then called Penn Community Services) for respite from their public political activities campaigning for Civil Rights during the 1960s. It is said that he wrote much of his "I Have a Dream" speech at Penn on St. Helena Island. On 28 August 1963 during the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom," King was the final speaker of the day - because no one else wanted to go last. It is ironic that arguably his most famous speech "I Have a Dream" does not include those words in his prepared text. King went off script and spoke extemporaneously when the "I Have a Dream" cadence in the speech begins. Researchers are fortunate that many of the country's television stations broadcast King's speech live. 

https://www.history.com/articles/i-have-a-dream-speech

In the vast universe of resources about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968), there are 4 gems in the BDC's holdings that I want to highlight for you:  

1. I Will Not Be Silent and I will be Heard:" Martin Luther King, Jr. by J. Tracy Power (Columbia, SC: South Carolina Dept. of Archives & History, Public Programs Division, c1993) is available in the BDC Research Room as well as from the Local History sections at your favorite Beaufort County Branch Library.
2. Chapter 4 of Penn Center: A History Preserved by Orville Vernon Burton is dedicated to the discussion of Penn Center's role in the Civil Rights Movement. This book is also available in the BDC Research Room as well as from the Local History sections at your favorite Beaufort County Branch Library. If you prefer an e-book, Hoopla has got you covered.
3. VF KING, MARTIN LUTHER, JR. (1929-1968) consists of newspaper and magazine articles about his time in Beaufort County during the 1960s.
4. In 2009, Beaufort County Broadcast Services filmed Rosa Cummings, now retired, but then head of the BCL's Technical Services department, performing King's "I Have a Dream" speech on DVD at Penn Center in front of Gantt Cottage where King stayed while planning the March on Washington. The speech is approximately 6 minutes long. We have equipment in the BDC Research Room for you to watch the short video.

For other materials about Dr. King, the SCLENDS catalog includes more than 1000 items about this important American, and Hoopla has a suggested list of more than 250 books, movies and audiobooks about him for kids, teens, and adults. The Library has a Martin Luther King, Jr. Pinterest style page of books and articles posted on our website, too. 

Sometimes we forget how national figures touch -- and are touched by -- places we drive by on a daily basis.  

Reminder: The Library system will be closed tomorrow Monday, January 19, 2026 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy. 

SOURCES:

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park https://www.nps.gov/reer/learn/index.htm

"The Constitution: Amendments 11 -27," America's Founding Documents, National Archives,  https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27

"The Southern Christian Leadership Conference History," https://nationalsclc.org/legacy/

"The 1963 March on Washington," NAACP website, https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/1963-march-washington 

"I Have a Dream Speech," History.com website https://www.history.com/articles/i-have-a-dream-speech