Coming from impoverish, humbled beginnings, Dr. Mays rose to become one of the greatest international leaders of his generation. Aligning with GLEAMNS’s mission of aiding those in poverty, the Mays Site serves as a reflection to those who seek assistance from GLEAMNS that education, determination, and hard work are the essential tools for breaking the walls of poverty and building the ladder to self-sufficiency.

The Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site has been established on the campus of GLEAMNS Human Resources Commission which is located in the old African-American Brewer Hospital before desegregation. The site, adjacent to and part of the old Brewer School which has its origins back to 1872, was chosen because of its historical significance. Dr. Mays’ birth home, previously listed as one of South Carolina’s Eleven Most Endangered Properties, was originally located in a pasture in SE Greenwood County in the community of Epworth. In 2004, the SC Palmetto Conservation Foundation purchased the home from the owners and moved it to its current site.