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Statement on the Passing of Senator Kay Patterson

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Sen. Kay Patterson (1911 – 2024), who passed away at the age of 93 on Friday, December 13, 2024. A dynamic legislator and trailblazing South Carolinian, Sen. Patterson served the people of our state with dignity for over three decades. From his time as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1975-1985) and then as a member of the South Carolina Senate (1985-2008), he worked to ensure that his constituents were represented with fidelity and integrity. Moreover, as one of the legislators that championed the creation of the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs and ushered us into existence in 1993, we are indebted to his vision and commitment to helping others.

We will continue to work to honor his life by faithfully serving the people of the State of South Carolina. Moreover, we will continue to honor his legacy of public service, which had the ultimate aim of ensuring a better quality of life not only for all South Carolinians, but especially those from marginalized and under-resourced communities.

State Statistical Profile FY23-24 Released

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs released its FY2023-24 Statistical Profile, a comprehensive report on the socio-economic conditions faced by the state’s ethnic minority communities, on Monday, December 9, 2024. The Statistical Profile serves to frame policy discussions around the importance of targeted interventions across a range of issues affecting minority communities today.

Download the Statistical Profile FY2023-2024-PDF | 2024 State Statistical Profile Presentation-PDF | Download the AAPI Statistical Profile 2024 Edition-PDF | Download the AAPI Statistical Profile Presentation-PPT

Board of Commissioners/Joint Advisory Committee Meeting

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs will host a Board of Commissioners meeting and joint Advisory Committee meeting on Friday, December 6,, 2024 at the River Center at Saluda Shoals Park (5605 Bush River Rd., Columbia, SC 29212) beginning at 9:30 a.m. Click to view the agenda.

Those who wish to participate in the public input portion of the meeting should email your comments to info@cma.sc.gov. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina Chief John G. Creel

November is #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth and The Culture Connect is back with a new episode featuring Chief John G. Creel of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina.

Tune in as Chief Creel discusses efforts to preserve Native American culture and history, the tribe’s efforts to obtain federal recognition, his upbringing, and supporting the community through his medical practice.

Watch the episode on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, on YouTube or Spotify!

South Carolinians Set New Records with Historic Pre-Election Day Turnout

COLUMBIA, SC (November 4, 2024/SC Election Commission) – South Carolina has wrapped up its early voting period and the State Election Commission (SEC) is reporting that there have been more than 1.5 million ballots cast in the 2024 General Election, which is the highest total of pre-election day ballots the state has ever seen in an election.

" We are thrilled to see this record-breaking turnout during the early voting period as we head into a highly anticipated Election Day,” said Howie Knapp, Executive Director of the SEC. “If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, get to the polls tomorrow and exercise your right to vote.” 

*    While current early voting laws were not established until 2022, in-person and by-mail absentee voting was available to all voters in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early voting is over, but Election Day is tomorrow, November 5. Make sure you are prepared!

• Polling places will open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Check your sample ballot and polling place at scVOTES.gov before leaving to vote. 
• You will be asked to present a Photo ID when checking in to vote.

The Return Deadline for Absentee Ballots is 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 5

• If you have an absentee ballot and have not yet returned it, return it as soon as possible.
• Consider returning your ballot in person to ensure it is received before the deadline. 
  • You must present a Photo ID when returning an absentee ballot in person.
• Find more information at scVOTES.gov to learn about exceptions for military and overseas voters and how an Immediate Family Member or an Authorized Representative can assist you with returning your absentee ballot.

Visit scVOTES.gov to find all of the information you need to prep for the polls, as well as daily early voting turnout statistics.

State Recognition Committee Meetings

The State Recognition Committee will meet on the following days for a review of the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina:

• Review #1, Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 2 p.m. via Teams
• Review #2, Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 2 p.m. at the SCCMA Conference Roon, 246 Stoneridge Dr., Ste. 250, Columbia, SC 29210

A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage: Ivan Segura

In recognition of #HispanicHeritageMonth, Daniel talks to CMA's Director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement Director Ivan Segura on his passion for helping the community, meeting the love of his life, and advocacy.

The Culture Connect podcast highlights South Carolina’s minority communities with the aim of improving their quality of life, highlighting opportunities, and providing resources. Watch the episode: YouTube 

SCCMA Advisory Committee and Board of Commissioners Meetings in September

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs will hold the following Advisory Committee and Board of Commissioners meetings:

• Small and Minority Business Advisory Committee, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 10 a.m. (Virtual) (Agenda) 
• Board of Commissioners, Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 10 a.m. (Virtual) (Agenda)
• Hispanic Latino Affairs Advisory Committee, Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Dorchester Mental Health Center, 106 Springview Lane, Summerville, SC 29485 (In Person)

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 prior to 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 Crisis of Black Maternal Health: Disparities in South Carolina

For some pregnancy is a gift, but what happens when that gift is quickly snatched from you? On May 2, 2023, during a welfare check, this tragic fate became the reality of Olympic medalist, Tori Bowie. Bowie, 32, was found dead in her home due to pregnancy related complications. The cause was later revealed by the medical examiner to be eclampsia, which is a disorder related to high blood pressure during pregnancy. When unaddressed during pregnancy, common conditions like high blood pressure and infections can become deadly. Being an Olympic medalist did not appear to have made a difference in Bowe receiving adequate prenatal care. However, the most important variable was not her occupation, but her race. Across a range of pregnancy-related disorders, Black women have significantly higher mortality rates than White women. In our latest research brief, Statistical and Research Analyst Alicia Paige, shines a light on these statistics as they relate to the state of South Carolina. (DOWNLOAD PDF)

CMAmeets x SC ETV and Public Radio

South Carolina ETV provides the state with public educational broadcasting content, and helps communities become stronger, connected, and informed. Listen in as President & CEO Adrienne Fairwell talks about the day-to-day of her role, new partnerships, projects, and creating educational content that includes minority stories and communities in South Carolina. Watch the episode. For more information about Able SC, visit https://www.scetv.org/.

CMAmeets is a CMA studio series that highlights the important work that diverse nonprofit leaders, state agency heads, and other critical partners are doing to improve the lives of ethnic minority communities around the state. CMAmeets is accessible on the South Commission for Minority Affairs’ YouTube channel.

South Carolina Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification Transferred to CMA

Effective July 3, 2024, the South Carolina Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification (SMBCC) has been transferred to the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (246 Stoneridge Drive, Ste. 250, Columbia, SC 29210). The integration of SMBCC into the Commission for Minority Affairs enhances the agency’s services and supports for small and minority businesses across the state. For more information about the Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification, visit https://smbcc.sc.gov/ or call 803-333-9621.