More About Born to Rebel, Driven to Excel
The 2026 Horry County Museum Documentary Film Series continues with Born to Rebel, Driven to Excel. Part of the Carolina Stories Series by SCETV, this 30-minute film biography tells the story of South Carolinian, Dr. Benjamin Mays.
Benjamin Mays, from Epworth, South Carolina, saw the racism and forced segregation of life around him and decided to challenge it with education and religion. Against the advice of his father, Mays pursued a formal education and rose to the top of his class, becoming Dean of Religion at Howard University, and later earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Chicago. He became president of Morehouse College in 1940, and his influence on civil rights and education for the next three decades reached far and wide. He met with Mahatma Gandhi, led Atlanta’s desegregation effort, and convinced Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell to (secretly) sponsor students. He was mentor and spiritual father to Martin Luther King, Jr., who credited him as his inspiration for entering the ministry. King selected Mays to give his eulogy in the event of his death, a task Mays fulfilled. Interviewees include Andrew Young, Hank Aaron, Mays’ great niece Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, and Dr. Robert Franklin.
The film is free to the public and will be shown at 1:00 PM, Wednesday, December 16th, at the Horry County Museum, located at 805 Main Street in Conway.
The Horry County Museum Documentary Film Matinees will continue throughout 2026. For a list of films, visit our website at Click for Details . For more information, call the Horry County Museum at 843-915-5320 or e-mail hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov.
Benjamin Mays, from Epworth, South Carolina, saw the racism and forced segregation of life around him and decided to challenge it with education and religion. Against the advice of his father, Mays pursued a formal education and rose to the top of his class, becoming Dean of Religion at Howard University, and later earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Chicago. He became president of Morehouse College in 1940, and his influence on civil rights and education for the next three decades reached far and wide. He met with Mahatma Gandhi, led Atlanta’s desegregation effort, and convinced Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell to (secretly) sponsor students. He was mentor and spiritual father to Martin Luther King, Jr., who credited him as his inspiration for entering the ministry. King selected Mays to give his eulogy in the event of his death, a task Mays fulfilled. Interviewees include Andrew Young, Hank Aaron, Mays’ great niece Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, and Dr. Robert Franklin.
The film is free to the public and will be shown at 1:00 PM, Wednesday, December 16th, at the Horry County Museum, located at 805 Main Street in Conway.
The Horry County Museum Documentary Film Matinees will continue throughout 2026. For a list of films, visit our website at Click for Details . For more information, call the Horry County Museum at 843-915-5320 or e-mail hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov.
Date & Time
December 16, 2026
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Location
Horry County Museum
805 Main Street
Conway, SC 29526
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More About Horry County Museum
The Horry County Museum was established in 1979 and opened its doors to the public in 1981. The Museum focuses on the history, pre-history, and natural history of Horry County, S.C., and educates the public about these subjects through exhibits, outreach programs, and events. In 2009, the Museum opened the L. W. Paul Living History Farm. The Farm is a re-creation of life on a one horse family farm between the years of 1900-1955. Visitors to the farm can experience what life was like in a farm community during those years and attend quarterly events at the Farm. In 2014, the Museum moved into the renovated 1905 Burroughs School. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. The move includes increased exhibits, a freshwater aquarium featured on Animal Planet’s hit reality show “Tanked”, and a 600 seat auditorium that hosts public presentations and programs.
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