South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs

Education Matters: Minority Student Enrollment, Retention, Degree Rates and Median Income in South Carolina from the Past Decade

Over the last decade, higher education has been in the spotlight due to rising costs, dwindling enrollment, and the applicability of certain majors to real-world occupations. In this research brief, Statistical and Research Analyst Ja'Curas McCloud examines how minority students have fared relative to several of these metrics, particularly in terms of enrollment, graduation rates, and degrees conferred from 2011 to 2021. (DOWNLOAD PDF)

South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs and U.S. Housing Urban Development to Host Housing and Rental Assistance Workshop

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (CMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have partnered to host a free Homeowners and Rental Assistance Workshop on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The workshop will be held at the SiMT-Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology Building, 1951 Pisgah Road, Florence, SC 29501.

Attendees will hear from staff members of CMA, HUD, the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing), the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA), the Eastern Carolina Housing Organization (ECHO), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC).

This workshop will provide a wealth of resources to educate, guide, and assist communities of color on the following topics:

• Fair Housing
• Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Programs
• Homebuying programs
• Homelessness Assistance Programs
• Housing Counseling
• Rental Assistance

Space is limited, and registration is required. To register, visit https://sccmahousingrentalassistanceworkshop.eventbrite.com

For more information, call the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs at 803-333-9621.

SCCMA to Celebrate 30th Anniversary with Cultural Showcase and Scholarship Gala

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (CMA) is hosting its 30th anniversary celebration on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at the Columbia Convention Center (1101 Lincoln St., Columbia, SC 29201) to celebrate the agency’s commitment to serving the State of South Carolina. The Anniversary Celebration & Scholarship Gala begins at 6 p.m. with a VIP reception and cultural showcase, followed by the main event at 7 p.m.

Two-time New York Times best-selling author, civil rights activist, attorney, and entrepreneur Bakari Sellers is the keynote speaker. WLTX-TV anchor Whitney Sullivan will serve as our mistress of ceremonies. The celebration will also include a performance from 7Sunday and a cultural showcase featuring the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina, the Filipino American Association of Greater Columbia (FAAGC), South Carolina, the Gullah/Geechee Nation, and Palmetto Luna Arts.

As a part of our celebration efforts, CMA will launch its Bridging the Gap initiative to fund programs aimed at assisting low-income, disadvantaged students, including those whose parents are incarcerated, with their educational needs. In addition, CMA will provide technical assistance to its various program areas and support to its small, disadvantaged minority businesses. The proceeds from this event will be used to fund the programs included in this initiative.

Tickets are $100 and are available for purchase at https://sccma30thanniversarycelebration.eventbrite.com. Sponsorships are still available. If you are interested in sponsoring the anniversary celebration, view our Sponsor Packet. 

For more information, call the Commission for Minority Affairs at 803-333-9621. 

SCCMA Board of Commissioners April Meeting

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs Board of Commissioners will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2023, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be streamed online via the agency’s YouTube page. Click to view the agenda.

Those who wish to participate in the public input portion of the meeting should email comments to info@cma.sc.gov. Comments must be received no later than noon on the day prior to the scheduled meeting. The following information must be included when submitting public comment:

·        Name

·        Phone Number

·        Date of Meeting

·        Meeting Name

·        Agenda Item

·        Comment (500 words or less)

For more information, contact the SC Commission for Minority Affairs at 803-333-9621 or info@cma.sc.gov. 

SCCMA Small & Minority Business Advisory Committee Meeting

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs will hold a virtual Small & Minority Business Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 10 a.m. 

The meeting will be streamed live via the Commission’s YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/c/SCCommissionforMinorityAffairs).

For more information, contact the SC Commission for Minority Affairs at 803-333-9621 or info@cma.sc.gov.

SCCMA Advisory Committee Meetings

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs will hold the following virtual Advisory Committee meetings during the month of March:

• Native American Affairs Advisory Committee, Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10 a.m. / AGENDA / RECORDING
• African American Affairs Advisory Committee, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 10 a.m. / AGENDA / RECORDING
• Hispanic/Latino Affairs Advisory Committee, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 10 a.m. / AGENDA / RECORDING

The meetings will be streamed live via the Commission’s YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/c/SCCommissionforMinorityAffairs).

Those who wish to participate in the public input portion of the meeting should email your comments to info@cma.sc.gov. Comments must be received no later than noon on the day of the scheduled meeting. Please include the following information when submitting public comment:

• Name
• Phone Number
• Date of Meeting
• Meeting Name
• Agenda Item
• Comment (500 words or less)

For more information, contact the SC Commission for Minority Affairs at 803-333-9621 or info@cma.sc.gov.

The Culture Connect Podcast: Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President of Benedict College

In recognition of Women's History Month, we talked to Benedict College President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, the first woman to serve as president at Benedict College, about the impact and importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, academic advancements on campus, preparing students to get and create jobs, and more in the latest episode of The Culture Connect.

Dr. Artis has received more than 300 awards and recognitions, including being named Female HBCU President of the Year by HBCU Digest (2018), being named to Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s "Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education" (2019), and being named "President of the Year" by Higher Ed Dive (2020). Dr. Artis is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from West Virginia State University.

The Culture Connect podcast, brought to you by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (CMA), highlights South Carolina’s minority communities with the aim to improve their quality of life, highlight opportunities, and provide resources. Be sure to subscribe so that you can stay aware of new episodes. The Culture Connect is available on Facebook, YouTube, Anchor, and Spotify (https://anchor.fm/thecultureconnectsc). To view the March episode, visit Facebook, YouTube or Spotify. 

Connecting Minority Communities: Broadband Infrastructure and Internet Service Provision in South Carolina from 2019 to 2021

Access and connectivity to the internet have dominated COVID-era discussions on the infrastructural underpinnings of social inequality and future access to opportunities. In this brief, Research Director Dr. Robert P. Fenton examines the racial/ethnic dimensions of these discussions as they pertain to South Carolina, tracks the significant changes made to improving metrics for minority households from 2019 to 2021, and points out how investments in internet connectivity for minority households might improve South Carolina's economy. (DOWNLOAD PDF)

South Carolina Statistical Profile Explores Socio-Economic Conditions Faced by Ethnic Minority Communities

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs released its FY2021-2022 Statistical Profile, a comprehensive report on the socio-economic conditions faced by the state’s ethnic minority communities, during a luncheon for community partners on Monday, February 27, 2023. The Statistical Profile serves to frame policy discussions around the importance of targeted interventions across a range of issues affecting minority communities today. To view the Statistical Profile, visit https://cma.sc.gov/research.

SCCMA Partners with McMaster, Clyburn and State Agencies to Connect Communities to High-Speed Internet

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs has joined forces with Governor Henry McMaster, Congressman James E. Clyburn, the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff’s Broadband Office, and the South Carolina Department of Administration’s Digital Equity Office to promote the state’s high-speed internet access and adoption campaign, Get Connected SC. The Commission will share information about the 26-community listening tour and the Better-Internet Survey, which is intended to identify the obstacles to internet adoption in underserved, unserved, and underrepresented communities statewide. 

To complete the survey in English, visit https://cx.ravencsi.com/arPkG. To complete the survey in Spanish, visit https://cx.ravencsi.com/m8yvG. For more information about Get Connected SC, visit https://www.getconnectedsc.org/.

The Culture Connect Podcast: Cecil Williams, Civil Rights Photographer/Founder of the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum

Before 12 years of age, Cecil Williams’ camera had captured the petitioners in Clarendon County as they lit the torch of freedom. In 10th grade, he photographed Thurgood Marshall coming to Charleston for the Briggs case, and again one year later, speaking at Claflin. In 1955, he became the youngest-ever JET Magazine photographer. In 1960, upon being thrown out of a New York press conference, he became JFK’s favorite lensman. In the next episode of The Culture Connect, Daniel James II visits the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum to talk to the founder and Civil Rights photographer about his life, his impact on the Civil Rights movement, the museum located in Orangeburg, SC, and more.

The Culture Connect podcast, brought to you by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (CMA), highlights South Carolina’s minority communities with the aim to improve their quality of life, highlight opportunities, and provide resources. Be sure to subscribe so that you can stay aware of new episodes. https://anchor.fm/thecultureconnectsc

Cultural Connections: January 2023

Check out the latest issue of Cultural Connections, the official newsletter for the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs! In this issue, readers can get an update on upcoming events, helpful links and more! To view the latest issue, CLICK HERE.

Be the first to hear about how the agency is bridging the gap between cultures and communities to create opportunities; upcoming events; cultural spotlights; community news and more. Stay connected with us by joining our electronic distribution list. 

SC Ports Authority Legal Notices

Are you interested in working with the SC Ports Authority? Visit https://scspa.com/about/legal-notices/ to view available opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs to bid on projects. Note: When visiting links for most Engineering Capital Construction projects, visitors will be redirected to the e-Builder website. Each new project requires the user to register (name, company name and email address). For more information on the SC Ports Authority, visit https://scspa.com/.