A close-up of a civil rights protest button being worn by a female demonstrator at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, DC, August 28, 1963. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)

The South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is one step closer to opening in its new home in Downtown Orangeburg, South Carolina. After a year-long delay, the new facility will be larger and better than before.

The new 11,000 square foot facility will be part of Orangeburg's Railway Corner redevelopment project. Thisis the effort to reinvent what was once a major hub for African American businesses in the city.

The museum was founded by civil rights photographer Cecil J. Williams. He spent 60 years photographing civil rights movements and documenting figures including Thurgood Marshall, the Briggs v. Elliot case, and more. After years of documenting the struggle for racial equity, the photo collection began to tell a story.

“Photography has a funny way of doing that,” Williams said to WIS, referring to how looking at his photos makes it seem like the events happened yesterday. “But it also speaks about the power and capacity that one photograph can tell a story.”

One of his most recognized and famous photos depicts the act of defiance at a segregated water fountain.

The museum houses thousands of Williams' photographs, as well as historical artifacts. The new building will allow the museum to expand and preserve more of the history.

“We’re going to make sure, as the guardians of this history, that their stories are told,” Williams said.

The new museum hopes to be open by the end of the year. For more information on the museum, visit their website.

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