Columbia taking a look back at civil rights past

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Activists who took part in Columbia’s civil rights movement are returning to celebrate its history.

On Friday, a series of historical markers are being unveiled in downtown Columbia. The waist-high signs include images and information about sit-ins, marches and legal cases that took place in Columbia during the civil rights era.

The markers are part of an effort to showcase the role that South Carolina’s capital city played in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Other events have included showings of movies about the era and a photography show. A traveling exhibition with information on happenings from other southern cities like Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala., also stopped in Columbia.

Officials hope the Columbia markers will help residents and visitors learn more about the city’s past.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP