The Unveiling and Dedication of a Statue Honoring Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr. (1931–2017)
On Monday March 25th, 2026, we gathered in Sumter for the unveiling and dedication of a statue honoring Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr. (1931–2017), marking what would have been his 95th birthday—a moving tribute to a man whose service and leadership helped reshape South Carolina’s legal landscape.
The first African American Chief Justice in the history of South Carolina, Justice Finney was a graduate of Orangeburg’s Wilkinson High School, Claflin College, and the South Carolina State Law School.
He taught in Conway, South Carolina, and later built his legal career in Sumter, where he emerged as a stalwart civil rights lawyer—defending the Friendship Nine in Rock Hill, supporting the Freedom Riders, and advancing the cause of justice through the courts.
And the rest is a brilliant history:
1972 — elected to the South Carolina General Assembly
1976 — elected Circuit Court Judge
1985 — elected to the South Carolina Supreme Court
1994 — became Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court
2002 — served as Interim President of South Carolina State
An exemplary life of service.
Monday was a proud moment for the Finney family, the Goodfellows Club, the citizens of Sumter, and the countless admirers who gathered to remember and reflect on his extraordinary life and career.
A monument, a marker, a stone to teach generations to come.
TELL THEM.
Courtesy of Bobby Donaldson
A Portrait Unveiling of Judge Ernest A. Finney Jr.
History at Work — University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law—February 27, 2026
Honored to attend a portrait unveiling of Judge Ernest A. Finney Jr. (1931–2017)—a proud graduate of Claflin University, a pioneering 1954 graduate of the South Carolina State University School of Law, a brilliant civil rights attorney, and the first African American Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Now permanently honored among legal giants at the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law
The portrait was painted by acclaimed artist Tarleton Blackwell.
History at Work.
Courtesy of Bobby Donaldson
