A historical monument commemorating The Four Holes Freedom School, the last native American school in South Carolina, was unveiled on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 1125 Ridge Road, Ridgeville, S.C. The monument approved by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, was installed at the site of a donated building used for the school during the 1968-69 school year. Native American children had been denied entry into the newly integrated Dorchester County public school system due to overcrowding.
“This monument, today, here on a main road for everyone to read, tells a broader story of civil rights, a movement, not just black and white. This marker tells a history that will be remembered here in Four Holes, a story far outside the national spotlight”, said Edwin Breeden, S.C. Historical Marker Coordinator.
Many parents from the Four Holes community, led by community activist, Victoria DeLee and Gertie Creel, were arrested when they held protest demonstrations at the public schools. They requested assistance from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) who assigned John Reynolds to help them.
Reynolds was instrumental in recruiting teachers from the University of South Carolina. Classes were taught by volunteer teachers who also came in from New York and New jersey. Healthcare was provided in a medical van.
According to Reynolds, Georgia Davidson, who donated the building, was also arrested as a protester, taken to jail in St. George, and refused bail until the children were admitted to county public schools. She said at that time, “It’s too late for me, and even for my children, but I want something better for my grandchildren and I will do everything to achieve that.”
“The women in this community sacrificed so much, and we are here, 56 years later, to honor their courage, their sacrifice, their love,” John Reynolds said. Reynolds is now president of Scope50, a non-profit that began as a project to pass the Voting Rights Act.
Elijah DeLee, son of Victoria DeLee from Ridgeville, said his mother, the Black woman activist, was not satisfied just to have her children attending integrated schools. “I’ve got to reach out and help those children down the road” (the Native children). “Mama had about a 5th grade education, but her knowledge and wisdom was in her head. She wasn’t afraid to shake her finger in the face of the attorney general of the United States,” said DeLee
State Senator Matt Leber, District 41, said, “This is a story to remember, a mistake that was made especially when it comes to children, taking ownership, and moving righting the wrongs as we move forward. We must provide equal protection for all.”
Members of the S.C. House of Representatives attending the unveiling were Robert D. (Robby) Robbins, District 97 and Harriet Holman, District 102. Both acknowledged how important the monument is in the Dorchester County Community.
Edisto Natchez-Kusso Chief John Glenn Creel, said, “I am so grateful to our elders, because I’m a product of the public school systems. I taught in the public schools before I went to medical school.”