Luther James Battiste, III Papers

“Every complimentary word ever said about a man has probably been uttered in reference to Luther J. Battiste, III. Honest, diplomatic, intelligent, caring and diligent are some of the adjectives most commonly used to describe him by constituents, peers, and citizens throughout Columbia and the state of South Carolina.” Cityscape, Summer 1998

Luther James Battiste, III has been a respected leader in the Columbia community for most of his life. From his summer in college working with low-income children to his fifteen years of service on the Columbia City Council, Battiste has dedicated himself to improving Columbia for all of its residents. In 1983, he became one of the first African-Americans elected to the Columbia City Council since the Reconstruction Era, sharing the honor with E.W. Cromartie II, and he served two terms as Mayor Pro Tem during his time in office. Battiste remained on the Council until 1998 when he decided not to run for re-election. While proving himself to be an effective community representative, Battiste also remained highly involved in the fields of law and business.

Born July 21, 1949 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Battiste attributes his success predominantly to his parents, Mildred Battiste and Luther Battiste, Jr. “My parents had different qualities. I like to think I took the best from my parents,” he commented to the Carolina Tribune. After graduating from Wilkinson High School in 1967, Battiste began attending the University of South Carolina shortly after its integration in 1963. Reminiscing to Attitude Magazine, Battiste said, “They used to say that you could walk around U.S.C. campus for one week and not see a Black face before we came.”

Battiste got his introduction to politics at the University of South Carolina when he managed the successful campaign of Harry Walker, the first African-America to run for president of student government. While at USC, Battiste was named to Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities and recognized as an outstanding senior. Among his accomplishments, he co-authored a successful proposal for the creation of an African-American Studies Program at the University of South Carolina. In 1971, Battiste graduated with a B.A. in International Studies, the first African-American to do so. He went on to Emory University Law School, where he was equally involved as a member of the Dean Selection Committee for the Law School, a representative for the Law to the Student Government Association, and president of the Black American Law Students Association. In 1974, Battiste graduated with a Juris Doctor degree.

Soon after graduation, Battiste began his law career in Columbia as an intern for I.S. Leevy Johnson and was made a partner within a year. Battiste is now the managing and founding shareholder of Johnson, Toal, and Battiste, P.A., which he chartered with William T. Toal and I.S. Leevy Johnson in 1975. Johnson, Toal, and Battiste, P.A. has received the highest rating given to a law firm by the Martindale-Hubbell attorney rating service and was the first minority firm in South Carolina to earn membership to the American Bar Association’s Minority Demonstration Program.

Battiste is renowned for his ability as a trial lawyer, particularly his cross-examinations and closings, with areas of specialty in worker’s compensation, complex civil litigation, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and administrative law. Battiste was the first African-American president of the Richland County Bar Association and of the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. His additional leadership roles in the law profession include president of the Columbia Lawyers Association, member of the National Board of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and president of the Southeastern Region of ABOTA (SEABOTA).

Battiste’s leadership within Columbia’s business profession includes two terms as Vice Chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, membership on the Standard Federal Savings Bank and South Carolina Bank and Trust Boards, and Chairman of the Richland/Lexington County Airport Commission.

Battiste saw his career as a businessperson and lawyer as highly relevant to his service on City Council. In an interview with a coalition of neighborhoods from District One, Battiste explained that as a lawyer he spent time problem solving and giving advice to individuals. He believed this experience translated to Council service because he understood a large portion of the role of a council member as responding to individual constituent concerns. On the local level, this meant seemingly mundane issues including garbage problems, streetlights, drainage, and public safety complaints.

Overall, Battiste aimed to bring government closer to the people. This goal began with his election, which was the first under the new “4-2-1” plan. Before this, five Columbia City Council members were elected at large. Many, including Battiste, believed that this prevented African-Americans from being elected to City Council and, therefore, the concerns of the African-American community from being adequately addressed by the Council. The City decided to expand the Council to have four district representatives, two at large representatives, and one at large Mayor, 4-2-1. The districts were drawn so that two had an African-American majority, and two African-American council members were elected the first year Columbia implemented the new plan.

Battiste saw his responsibilities as a council member as three-fold, encompassing representation of District One, the African-American community, and the City as a whole. In his district, Battiste was a major advocate for neighborhoods. He encouraged neighborhood organizations to form and to voice their concerns to himself and City Council and frequently attended their meetings to understand their concerns. He championed the improvement of low-income housing while ensuring that current low-income residents were not displaced as a result of those improvements. Battiste passionately co-sponsored and advocated for The Minority Business Enterprise Program, a program for hiring more minorities and women for city jobs and contracts, despite the friction it caused among council members. He worked to make Columbia a safer, more attractive place for its residents and a destination for visitors. Finlay Park, Riverfront Park, and the development of the Congaree Vista are just a few of the many improvements Battiste supported during his city leadership.

Battiste’s success in bringing government closer to the people and addressing individual constituent concerns is obvious. In 1986, 1990, and 1994 Battiste was the only council member to run unopposed. Upon his retirement, the city built a plaza and monument and named it in his honor in one of the neighborhoods he advocated for most, the Eau Claire Community. Battiste’s service was recognized by the Congress in a proclamation read by the Hon. James Clyburn which described the former Councilman as “one of the most articulate and thoughtful members of (the) Council.” A transcript of this Proclamation can be found in the collection in the folder marked “Retirement”. After leaving the Columbia City Council, Battiste remained highly active within the community, serving on the boards of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport Authority, the Columbia Museum of Art, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Capital City Club. In 1999, Battiste was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame.

From the very start, Battiste thought of his position as being solely about the community. “I feel like I was drafted by the community. It wasn’t something that I planned to do,” he told the Carolina Tribune. In 1998 he chose not to seek reelection. As the position evolved into one including more and more committee meetings and community involvement, he realized he could no longer give the position 100%. With his wife, Judy Battiste, and their two children, Justin Foster and Jade Nicole, along with a full-time job, he felt that there was not enough time to do the job well and maintain a balanced life. With all he had done for the community, upon his retirement Battiste expressed to Cityscape that he was proudest of the Summer Concert Series, particularly the first that featured Betty Carter. This event, which came to be known as the Wachovia Main Street Jazz Festival, illustrates Battiste’s particular love for jazz music. Battiste owns an extensive collection of jazz recordings which he began to assemble as a student at USC in the late 1960’s, and he took great pride in sharing his collection via the weekly radio program Jazz in the City on 92.1 FM The Palm.