Mrs. Alice Hurley (center) poses for a photo with Dr. Hiram Spain (left) and Columbia Urban League President/CEO J.T. McLawhorn.
The Columbia Urban League recently celebrated it’s “50th Anniversary Equal Opportunity Gala by recognizing the Leagues founder Alice Wyche Hurley, a member of the Columbia (SC) Chapter of The Links, Inc. and her late husband, Anthony Manigault Hurley. Just three years after the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed, they worked together to establish the first League in South Carolina, with a mission to empower communities and change lives. The Columbia League eventually chartered both the Charleston and Upstate Leagues. Mrs. Hurley stated that “It was natural that I started the Columbia Urban League due to the current issues at the time. The NAACP had its place, but when the issues are brought to the surface, organizations like the Columbia Urban League make the mission consistent and ongoing.”
By: Mary G. Elam
Columbia (SC) Chapter, The Links, Inc.