Paris Simkins (1849-1930) was an African-American storekeeper, lawyer, minister, barber, and politician. Born into slavery, Simkins founded the Macedonia Baptist Church in

Edgefield, South Carolina Edgefield is a town in and the county seat of Edgefield County, South Carolina, Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,750 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. Edgefield is part of the Augusta, Georgia met ...

. A staunch Republican, he served in multiple governmental offices following the Civil War, including the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...

from 1872 to 1876.

Biography

Simkins was born in 1849 to slavery in

Edgefield County, South Carolina Edgefield County is a county located on the western border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 25,657. Its county seat and largest community is Edgefield. The county was established on March 12, 1785 ...

. He was the son of his white owner, newspaper editor Arthur Simkins, and his enslaved mother. In 1866, he and another formerly enslaved man wrote to Major General

Daniel Sickles Daniel Edgar Sickles (October 20, 1819May 3, 1914) was an American politician, American Civil War , Civil War veteran, and diplomat. He served in the United States House of Representatives , U.S. House of Representatives both before and after t ...

. In that letter, the men appealed "to the Government for protection." During Reconstruction, Simkins founded the Macedonia Baptist Church in the town of Edgefield. He was actively involved in politics during Reconstruction; he served as a lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina State Militia, town postmaster, and elected member of the

(1872-1876). While in the legislature, Simkins was admitted to and studied at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

, from which he graduated in 1876. In that election, former slaveholder and Confederate loyalist

Wade Hampton III Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818April 11, 1902) was an American politician from South Carolina. He was a prominent member of one of the richest families in the antebellum Southern United States, owning thousands of acres of cotton land in Sout ...

narrowly won the governorship, largely due to fraud and intimidation. Afterward, Simkins focused his efforts on building his church and organizing the

Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia The Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, also known as the Colored Knights of Pythias or the Knights of Pythias, is a fraternal organization in the United States. The Knights of Pythias, founded ...

fraternal organization in Edgefield. In 1885, he was admitted to the state bar, though he never practiced as a lawyer. Simkins is buried in the cemetery attached to the Macedonia Baptist Church in Edgefield, South Carolina. In 1938, his grandson, Charles B. Bailey applied to the all-white

University of South Carolina School of Law The University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, also known as South Carolina Law School, is a professional school within the University of South Carolina. Founded in 1867, it is the only public and non-profit law school in South Car ...

. Despite his grandfather having graduated from USC decades prior, Bailey's admission stalled. After months of being told it was "under consideration", a leading member of the university's board of trustees declared an unwillingness to admit non-whites. Bailey took a job with the

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

and spearheaded the integration of post office letter carriers in Columbia in the 1940s.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simkins, Paris 1849 births 1930 deaths People from Edgefield, South Carolina 19th-century African-American lawyers 19th-century American lawyers American freedmen African-American state legislators in South Carolina African-American Baptist ministers South Carolina lawyers University of South Carolina alumni Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era 20th-century African-American politicians 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly