For decades, Black South Carolinians have suffered from infrastructure projects that have destroyed our communities and prevented our ability to accrue wealth. Despite the federal government’s recent commitment to rectifying these past harms, South Carolina seems ready to repeat these wrongs. In North Charleston, SC for instance, the Department of Transportation is moving forward with the expansion of an I-26 interchange, the displacement effects of which would be felt almost entirely by Black and Brown residents.
Highway and road construction are disrupting rural Black communities too. In Conway, SC, the Department of Transportation is preparing to build a road that will disproportionately displace elderly Black residents from land they grew up on and that was inherited from their ancestors since the 1800’s.
Rather than protect the land and rights of these Black residents, South Carolina instead pursues plans designed to benefit tourists, newcomers, and businesses. The South Carolina NAACP will combat these injustices by using all available legal tools, supporting community organizers, and encouraging Black residents across the state to continue their fight against racial inequity. As stated by SC NAACP State Conference President, Brenda C. Murphy, “these projects have enormous consequences for individuals and prevents Black and Brown South Carolinians from accruing wealth.”
In this spirit, SC State Conference NAACP has filed a complaint with the Federal Highway Administration requesting that they investigate the Conway, SC Perimeter Road Project and its disproportionate impact on the Black community.
