In Memoriam: Rev. Joseph Darby Jr.

Renowned SC Civil rights activist Joseph Darby Jr. passes away at 74
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved father, the Reverend Joseph Anthom Darby Jr., who left us peacefully last night, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, a day after his 74th birthday.
A dedicated servant of God, he was a respected pastor to many African Methodist Episcopal Churches for the past 48 years, including Piney Grove AME (Gaston, SC), Pleasant Spring AME (Columbia, SC), Pine Grove AME (Columbia, SC), St. Philip AME (Eastover, SC), Morris Brown AME (Charleston, SC), presiding elder of the Beaufort District of the AME Church and his most recent service as pastor of Nichols Chapel AME (Charleston, SC).
Dad’s ministry was not confined to the pulpit. He carried it into every room he entered, every cause he championed, and every life he touched. His sermons stirred hearts and souls, but his actions stirred change. He taught us that faith without works is hollow, and that love (especially for the marginalized) is the highest calling.
To us, he was simply “Dad.” And to his grandchildren Jax, Zora, Naomi and Julius, he was their beloved “Papa Joe.” As sons, we were shaped by his integrity, his humor, and his fierce commitment to doing what was right, even when it was hard. He challenged us to think critically, to speak boldly, and to serve humbly. His legacy lives in our choices, our convictions and the families we raise.
To our extended family and the congregations he served, we share your grief and your gratitude. You were his joy, his mission, and his extended family. He prayed for you, fought for you, and celebrated you. We thank you for loving him in return. As a leader, he wasn’t just a figurehead but also a guide, a mentor, and a friend to so many. His wisdom and kindness touched countless lives, and his legacy will continue to inspire all of us who were blessed to be part of his journey. We take comfort in knowing that his life’s work will continue through the seeds he planted in the hearts of those he served and loved. We also find peace in the knowledge that he is now resting with his wife, our mother Mary Bright Darby.
Our father was a 15-year colorectal cancer survivor, and we encourage those with a family history or symptoms to seek screening.
Though our hearts are heavy, we find solace in knowing that his life was well-lived and his impact will continue to resonate. We are grateful for the outpouring of love, support and memories you have already shared during this difficult time.
A celebration of his life will be announced soon, as we honor the legacy of a man who gave so much to the world and to us. We love you, Papa Joe, and we will carry your memory in our hearts forever.
The Darby Family

SC Civil Rights Activist Rev. Joseph Darby Dies Day After 74th Birthday
Reverend and civil rights activist Joseph Darby Jr. passed away Friday night at 74, a day after his birthday. “Though our hearts are heavy, we find solace in knowing that his life was well- lived and his impact will continue to resonate,” said Rev. Darby’s son, Jason, in a post on Facebook. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love,” support, and memories you have already shared during this difficult time.
Darby was a leader in civil rights in the state, being the First Vice-President of the Charleston Branch of the NAACP and former First Vice President of the South Carolina NAACP. A Columbia native who was raised in the Wheeler Hill community, Rev. Darby attended South Carolina State University and received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina. He was also an inaugural class of 2004 inductee into the Richland School District One Hall of Fame.
Rev. Darby was a staunch advocate for education, becoming a member of multiple organizations across the state. Darby was a member of the State Superintendent of Education’s African-American Achievement Committee, the Racial/Cultural Advisory Council of the South Carolina School Boards Association, and the Board of Directors of the Daniel J. Jenkins Institute for Children.
Rev. Darby was the Pastor of Morris Brown AME Church located in Charleston, the largest congregation in the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. Rev. Darby served the AME Church in multiple roles, including Chairman of the Episcopal District Board of Trustees, Coordinator of the Seventh Episcopal District Sons of Allen Men’s Fellowship, and Registrar for the Palmetto Annual Conference Board of Ministerial Training.
Rev. Darby Reverend Darby was also Chairman of the Charleston P.A.S.T.O.R.S. Housing Initiative and of the South Carolina Coalition of Black Church Leaders. The reverend received several honors during his lifetime, including a Top Achiever Award in the 1993 South Carolina Black Male Showcase, South Carolina Business Vision magazine’s 1997 South Carolina’s 25 Most Influential African Americans Award, and the 1999 NAACP Southeast Region Medgar W. Evers Leadership Award.
In 2002, Rev. Darby was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame. “We take comfort in knowing that his life’s work will continue through the seeds he planted in the hearts of those he served and loved,” Jason Darby said. “We also find peace in the knowledge that he is now resting with his wife, our mother Mary Bright Darby.”
Rev. Darby is survived by his two sons, Jason and Jeremy, and several grandchildren.

Former Palmetto Project Leader Steve Skardon
“Joe believed that God put him on this earth to be a voice for compassion and justice, and he leaves a legacy of just that.”

Former State Rep. Jimmy Bailey (Charleston)
“I was lucky to have known a few giants whose impact was so powerful. Joe Darby was one of those individuals.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kevin Sack
“During the decade I spent researching and writing ‘Mother Emanuel,’ there was no one I more enjoyed interviewing. We had several long conversations and numerous other exchanges, and he was always immensely generous with his time and his wisdom. He’d talk, and I’d nod, soaking it up.
“He also was hilarious, with an acerbic wit that was always on target. We last communicated in early June, when he texted to compliment my newly-released book, a seal of approval that I coveted and cherished. His loss leaves this city without a pillar of its moral foundation.”

Charleston Activist Charlie Smith
“He understood that our systems of government and society were designed to keep the straight, white, male power-structure in power at all cost. He found his voice early and he was not afraid to use it for the benefit of all who were oppressed by that power. Whether he was speaking at the Statehouse, at Wheeler Hill, at an Alliance for Full Acceptance meeting or in the pulpit, he was a giant in the cause of justice and he will be missed.”

Constitutional Lawyer John L.S. Simpkins
“Reverend Darby compelled people of all faiths and no faith to see the humanity in each other. He was a truth-teller in a time sorely needing one.
“He’s irreplaceable, but he leaves behind many of us who have been inspired and enlightened by his example.”

Former Charleston County Council Member Colleen Condon
“Reverend Darby led the NAACP for decades and told it like it was,” she said. “He led Charleston to where we needed to go.  He didn’t mince words. He told me what I needed to know and what I needed to do as a council member. I appreciated his counsel.  Rest in peace good and faithful servant, and thanks to your family for giving of your time.”

Former Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg
Reverend Darby, a well-known voice of fairness and all things just, was also for me and other elected officials, a private counsel, lending his wisdom and rationale of love and justice in times of need. I was blessed to be a beneficiary.”

Congressman James E. Clyburn
“I'm deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend, Reverend Joseph Darby, Jr.
“Reverend Darby was an extraordinary and gifted man — a community leader, servant, and a faithful man of God. His career has been marked by selfless service to others that comes not only from his dedication to the ministry, but his innate passion and compassion.
“He will always be known as a pillar to South Carolina.
“He leaves behind a legacy of vision, integrity, and excellence that will continue to shape South Carolina’s future for generations to come. He will be dearly missed.”

Antjuan Seawright
“When your obituary writes your eulogy, you lived one incredible life, the case for my friend Joe Darby. Not only is he all the things that most, not just men, but Black men want to be, but he lived those things through his experiences.”
“I would say that most people would want to say that their life was the best and loudest sermon they ever preached. And I think Joe Darby, rest his soul, he and everyone he’s ever come in contact with, would be able to say that.”