Guest Speaker

The Center for African American History, Art and Culture is housed in the historic Immanuel Institute, located on the corner of York Street and Richland Avenue. Reverend W.R. Coles, an African American Presbyterian missionary, moved to Aiken in 1881 and established a church and school for freed enslaved people. The Institute began as a small […]

MARCH 9, 1911 The first cross-country flight in the Southeast took place on this date in 1911 when Frank Coffyn of the Wright training school took off from a field in west Augusta and flew his biplane on a leisurely path to Aiken, a 28-mile trip that took 31 minutes. From the aviation camp near […]

The CJB Outreach’s mission is to provide immediate and impactful assistance to women-led households. We believe that a woman should never be in a position where her children are in jeopardy due to not having the resources to fight for custody, food, shelter, or assets. By taking the stress and pressure from a situation, women […]

Dr. Bobby Donaldson is the Executive Director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina, where he focuses on preserving and studying the history of the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina, particularly through research, public outreach, and educational programs; he is an Associate Professor of History at […]

Tenor Nicklaus Porter is an active operatic performer from Augusta, Georgia. He left his home town in pursuit of furthering his education in music, earning his double eagle from Georgia Southern University with a M.M. in Vocal Performance, under the direction of Dr. Arikka Gregory and Dr. Jonathan Murphy, and B.M. in both Vocal Performance […]

For many years, the Rotary Club of Aiken has awarded scholarships to worthy students. We awarded a $7,500 scholarship to 23 students from the Class of 2024 for a total of $172,500. This scholarship is open to all 2025 graduating high school students who live in Area 1 or attend an Area 1 school, including […]