Modjeska Monteith Simkins was an important leader of African-American public health reform, social reform and the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina.

Benedict College is a private historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1870 by northern Baptists, it was originally a teachers' college. It has since expanded to offer majors in many disciplines across the liberal arts. The campus includes buildings in the Benedict College Historic District, a historic area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.