Museum representative asks Orangeburg County to reconsider $450,000 operating request

Cecil Williams, representing the South Carolina Civil Rights Museum under construction in Orangeburg, urged the Orangeburg County Council during the meeting to reconsider a previously rejected $450,000 county support request.

Williams said the museum building at 111 Boulevard is roughly 60 to 90 days from construction completion and estimated that fabricating and installing exhibits would take about six to nine months. "When we begin operation, it will require substantial financial resources," Williams said, adding that the $450,000 figure represents the minimum needed to operate the museum with one additional staff member.

Williams offered economic projections he said support the request. "Conservative estimates show the museum will attract 200,000 visitors annually. At just $100 per visitor in spending, that is $20 million injected in the local economy every year," he said, and added that the project could create "250 to 450 new jobs" in hospitality, retail and related services. Williams also estimated the broader multiplier effect could raise total annual impact to $30 million–$60 million.

The appeal stressed the museum's role in telling civil rights stories and argued that similar institutions across South Carolina receive city and county support. Williams said the museum would be a "legacy" for the city and urged Orangeburg County to support the project so it would not have to "struggle alone." "Without support, the museum will be crippled," he said.

No vote or county action on the funding request was recorded in the meeting transcript. The public comment concluded with thanks from Williams to the council.