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Richland, Kershaw County Solicitor Byron Gipson named Inaugural UNUM Fellow

As UNUM Fellows, the group will begin 'a year-long journey to address inequitable and discriminatory policies and practices within their communities.'
Credit: WLTX
Byron Gipson

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mitch Landrieu’s E Pluribus Unum (EPU) announced its inaugural class of UNUM Fellows, including Byron Gipson, Solicitor of the Fifth Circuit, Richland and Kershaw Counties.   

UNUM Fellows is a leadership program that works with Southern elected officials. The program wishes to make changes and address  issues of racial and economic equity in the communities these Fellows live in.

The inaugural class is comprised of 14 Southern elected leaders. As UNUM Fellows, they will begin 'a year-long journey to address inequitable and discriminatory policies and practices within their communities.'

According to the release, the program will provide trainings and resources, funding up to $75,000 to help implement an equity-driven project.

Byron Gipson serves as the chief prosecutor of individuals charged with criminal offenses occurring in Richland and Kershaw Counties. Gipson was previously elected as the Chairman of the South Carolina Humanities Council, and was appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court to serve on The Committee on Character and Fitness. Prior to his current role, Gipson was a partner at Johnson, Toal, and Battiste, PA, where he practiced law for 21 years. Gipson graduated from the College of Charleston with degrees in English and Political Science and holds a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. 

As UNUM Fellows, these leaders will learn from nationally-recognized experts, consult with peers across the South and design and implement an equity-based project that will create sustainable, meaningful change, according to the organization. 

Fellows will leave the program equipped to: 

  • Foster meaningful participation among key community partners and leaders to drive the advancement of equity goals and projects; 
  • Advance initiatives—beginning with their Fellowship project—that address racial and economic disparities in communities; 
  • Cultivate long-term visions for equity within their communities that outlive any single term or administration; 
  • Talk about racial and economic equity in ways that advance discourse, with a common language and understanding; and 
  • Act with urgency with the support of a strong peer network and community. 

To learn more about UNUM Fellows, click here. 

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