Unlikely Crusader: John Eldred Swearingen and African-American Education in South Carolina

Although not a well-known figure either in educational or South Carolina history, John Eldred Swearingen had a profound impact on the schools of the Palmetto State. Guiding the schools to transition from 19th-century academies to 20th-century schools, Swearingen held office from 1907–1922. During these years, Swearingen oversaw unprecedented legislation impacting attendance, funding, and curriculum. Swearingen's stance on African American education was unlike many of his contemporaries—he used a variety of methods to improve education and raiseconsciousness amongst his White politician counterparts.

All of these facts would make him a worthy subject of biographical study; however, that he achieved all these things while blind makes his life and career all the more worthy. Almost as overlooked as Swearingen's contributions to South Carolina is the role the state played in the Brown v. Board of Education decision via the Briggs v. Eliott case. Drawing from Swearingen's own words, the papers of his contemporaries, and both legal and historical analysis of the involved legal cases to present an overview of both Swearingen and Briggs, this article argues that without Swearingen's visionary leadership—or if he had not been undone politically—the road to Briggs would have been quite different—if it existed at all.