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Historians and art enthusiasts believe that when Charleston artist Edwin Augustus Harleston was denied entry to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, he painted an image of himself in this 1920s panoramic view of the White Bridge at Magnolia, as shown in this close-up view. The bridge, built from cypress in the 1840s, is currently undergoing extensive repair after a mass tree fell on it this summer. A copy of the original Harleston photo is on sale at Magnolia’s gift shop. (Photos by Herb Frazier)

FOCUS: Act of resistance embedded in mysterious Magnolia Gardens photo

By Herb Frazier, special to Charleston Currents | A hand-tinted photograph captures a unique panoramic view 90 years ago of the iconic White Bridge at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens with a glimpse of the pointed cupola of Magnolia’s Main House.

What gives this old-fashioned picture an even more intriguing tinge, however, is a haunting image of a well-dressed artist painted into the photo as a bygone act of defiance against southern racial norms at that time.

Wearing what appears to be a seersucker suit and straw hat, the artist, seated before an easel, is dwarfed by the foot bridge, towering oaks and bushy azaleas in a late 1920s snapshot of America’s oldest garden.

Today, a copy of that original wide-angled view hangs in the sitting room of Magnolia’s Main House where the artist ̶ presumably Edwin Augustus Harleston ̶ would not have been invited for dinner because of his mixed parentage. …

by Special to Charleston Currents · 11/23/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

Charleston Animal Society's Joe Elmore, right, talks with Palmetto Brewery's Collin Clark.

NEWS BRIEFS: Annual chili cook-off raises big money to help animals

Staff reports | Animal lovers donated almost $400,000 Saturday during the Charleston Animal Society’s 20th annual Chili Cook-off, an event that was virtual for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sixty five teams participated in the online cook-off to generate donations from 927 people and organizations for a total of $388,716, according to the Animal Society’s website. You can view the event, recorded live Saturday, by clicking here.

by Charleston Currents · 11/23/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS, Morris: Divided federal government may help economy

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | History shows the American economy prefers checks and balances. Since 1945, the S&P 500 stock index under a divided federal government has had a 14 percent return whereas under a unified government the experience was 12 percent.

Morris

The 2020 elections are not completely over, yet the probability is for a Joe Biden presidency, a tight GOP majority in the U.S. Senate and a tighter Democratic majority in the U.S. House than before the election as more seats were taken by the GOP. We will have a divided Congress at least for the next two years. Assuming the eventual transition, how will history be written under this administration?

First, political appointments will be meaningful and more competitive, particularly at independent commissions, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, where personnel is policy.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 11/16/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, Money, Views

NEWS BRIEFS: McCain, Hall perform 8 p.m. Tuesday in $10 virtual concert

At 8 p.m. Nov. 17, the Charleston City Paper will offer a virtual mini-concert called 2020 SUCKS, a City Paper Concert for Charleston with Charleston favorite Edwin McCain as well as Country artist, Lauren Hall.

by Charleston Currents · 11/16/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

At the Feb. 26 endorsement of Biden in Charleston were (l-r): former Charleston councilman Paul Tinkler, former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, S.C. Sen. Marlon Kimpson, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, Charleston County Auditor Peter Tecklenburg, Biden. | Photo by Adam Schultz / Biden for President

FOCUS: South Carolina played key role in Biden victory

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | It can be argued that without South Carolina, Biden wouldn’t be president-elect.

In February, he won the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina. It was his first big win that preceded a string of wins built on the strong backing of U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the Palmetto State’s kingmaker. Clyburn’s endorsement of Biden in late February is widely viewed as the key to Biden’s win here, which was key to securing the nomination.

But much earlier, the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, who was chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1972, tapped Biden as the Democrat for Washington senators to support in the Delaware race for U.S. Senate. Then 29, Biden was a county councilman and unknown to many.

“He ended up taking a chance on me,” Biden said in April 2019 at Hollings’ funeral.

by Andy Brack · 11/09/2020 · 1 comment · Focus, Good news

NEWS BRIEFS: Statehouse will be different for Dems in 2021

By Andy Brack | The $200 million spent in South Carolina on the U.S. Senate race between Republican Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison sucked the oxygen out of down-ballot Democratic campaigns. “Nationalizing the election just killed down-ballot races,” said one key Statehouse insider who asked not to be named.

by Charleston Currents · 11/09/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS, Ervin: Our nation’s soul will endure

By Tom Ervin, special to Charleston Currents | Two Fridays ago, I stood in line for almost three hours to vote. It was heartwarming!

A young mother pushed a double stroller holding her twins and carried a third baby tucked in her backpack. Many elderly voters waited patiently in line while leaning on their walkers. Several voters arrived in wheelchairs. College students were voting with their parents.

Although the line wrapped all the way around the parking lot at the Greer Recreation Center, everyone was smiling and talking. Almost everyone wore masks and exercised social distancing. Several of us pleaded with a poll worker to move the young mother with her three small children to the front of the line. When he agreed, everyone cheered. Another woman passed out bottles of water to strangers. These folks were demonstrating their love of freedom and democracy. They were determined that their voices would be heard.

by Andy Brack · 11/02/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, Views

NEWS BRIEFS: Live improv is back at Theatre 99

Staff reports | Theatre 99, Charleston’s home for improvisational comedy, is again selling tickets for live shows, now scheduled for 8 p.m. every Wednesday. Seating is socially-distanced and limited.

“We are not giving up on our dream to keep Charleston’s awesome improv theatre alive,” a press release said. “We can’t just quit, so we have reopened to do live shows. Also, we all need to laugh and we need to make you laugh. It is why we got into this business in the first place – to make people laugh.”

by Charleston Currents · 11/02/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Vigorous government action needed to curb spread of virus

By Fred Palm, contributing editor | Correct and effective state action to battle COVID-19 is required. Now. Otherwise, more lives and livelihoods across South Carolina will suffer as a third wave descends upon the state.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s Oct. 23 public relations visit to Myrtle Beach revealed a guy who is in over his head with no way out. That means we have no way out.

“We’re vigilant. We’re trying to do our best,” he said during the visit. “We’ve heard from a lot of people in a lot of different kind of businesses; we’re taking all of that into consideration. These restrictions, it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it imposes great hardship; we’re aware of that. All of these decisions are made not quickly.”

by Fred Palm · 10/26/2020 · 1 comment · Focus, Good news

Hawker, middle, interviews S.C. Democratic Party Chair Trav Robertson, left, in 2018 in Florence.

BRIEFS: New documentary highlights country’s divisive mood

Staff reports | A new documentary released last week highlights the divisive political mood of South Carolina and the rest of the country in 2018 with a focus on the emerging political fissures that exploded in this pandemic year with national protests over civil rights and race.

The second episode of the film, A Hard Road: Travels in Trump’s America, features discussions of race, religion, President Trump and politics in South Carolina.

by Charleston Currents · 10/26/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs