Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation to Honor Reverend Nelson B. Rivers, III at Annual Justice Award Reception

Press Release

On Thursday, September 8th, the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation will honor Reverend Nelson B. Rivers, III with its annual “Commitment to Justice” Award reception beginning at 5:30 pm at the Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.

The emcee for this year’s reception will be Raphael James, who is an award-winning news anchor for WCSC’s Live 5 News. There will be special video tributes from a national perspective honoring Reverend Rivers as well as other community leaders paying tribute to his many accomplishments.  The keynote speaker for the evening will be The Honorable James E. Clyburn, 6th District, U.S. House Majority Whip. Tickets for this exclusive, special evening are still available. To purchase tickets and get more information on the event, click on this link: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/commitmenttojustice/

Reverend Rivers is a native of Charleston and a lifelong participant in civil rights and social justice activism. From the coastal community of Bennett’s Point, SC and nearby Charleston, Reverend Nelson B. Rivers, III is a preacher of the Gospel and civil rights worker. Rev. Rivers has preached at churches in 23 states and in Zimbabwe, Africa. He was elected the Pastor of Charity Missionary Baptist Church in the Liberty Hill Community of North Charleston in September 2008. He received his bachelor’s degree from Wilberforce University in Ohio, which is the first private Black-owned and operated university in America. He was ordained at the Olivet Baptist Church of Christ in Fayetteville, GA by the late Dr. Howard W. Creecy, Sr.

Rev. Rivers is a lifelong servant in the fight for justice. His civil rights work led to the election of more than 300 new black elected officials in South Carolina between 1986 and 1994. His involvement with civil rights organizations includes the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People [NAACP] and the National Action Network [NAN]. Rev. Rivers currently serves as the Vice President of Religious Affairs and External Relations with NAN. He is a past co-president and a founding member of the Charleston Area Justice Ministry [CAJM], an organization that promotes justice through congregational work.

Reverend Rivers has received numerous accolades highlighting his commitment to justice which include the Order of the Palmetto, the state of South Carolina’s highest award, induction into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame, H.E. DeCosta Trailblazer Award by South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, and the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Vision Award by the YWCA of Greater Charleston.

“The Center is indeed fortunate to have an honoree the caliber of Reverend Nelson B. Rivers, III,” said Dr. Jennie Stephens, CEO for the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation™.  “This award recognizes those who have fought for justice and racial equality, and we are certainly privileged to have this lifelong community leader and advocate as this year’s honoree.”

Join us to honor Reverend Nelson B. Rivers, III and support the Center.  Proceeds support the Center’s work to protect heirs’ property and promote the sustainable use of land through increased economic benefit to low wealth, historically under-served families.

Past award recipients have included Judge Richard E. Fields, Judge Alex Sanders, Dr. Theodore S. Stern, Ret. Chief Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr., Honorable Lucille S. Whipper, Ret. Chief Justice Jean H. Toal, Rev. McKinley Washington, Jr., Judge Bernard Fielding, Attorney Armand Derfner, Esq., Christine Osburn Jackson, and Dr. Millicent E. Brown.

This event has traditionally placed an emphasis on storytelling and personal reminiscences by those close to the honoree. The evening invariably feels like a big family that has come together to show their love and admiration for the recipient.  For media attendance at the event, please contact Jeff Winget at 843-745-7055 (ext. 259).

The Center is a non-profit organization that protects heirs’ property and promotes the sustainable use of land to provide increased income to historically under-served landowners.  Its services include legal and forestry education, direct legal services to resolve heirs’ property title issues, forestry land management services, technical assistance and connection to programs, and financial assistance to make these families’ land more profitable.

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The Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation™ has been protecting heirs’ property through legal education and direct legal services since 2005. In 2013, the Center began promoting the sustainable use of land through forestry education and services to provide increased economic benefit to low-wealth family landowners. The Center provides legal and forestry services in Allendale, Bamberg, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillion, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter and Williamsburg counties. 

To date, the Center has provided 3,569 persons with free, one-hour “Advice and Counsel” (A&C) with 955 clients receiving direct legal services to clear title. A total of 1,418 simple wills have been drafted at free, community Wills Clinics; more than 503 families (who collectively own more than 40,000 acres) have benefited from various levels of education and expert resources to develop and implement sustainable forestry management plans and 319 titles have been cleared on family land with a total tax-assessed value of $19.3 million. 

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