Editing Columbia, South Carolina (section)

===21st century and recent history===
[[File:Ronald Reagan campaigning with Nancy Reagan in Columbia, South Carolina.jpg|thumb|Governor [[Ronald Reagan]] campaigning with [[Nancy Reagan]] and [[Strom Thurmond]] in Columbia, 1980]]
During the 1990s and early 2000s the city worked to revitalize the downtown, as businesses had been pulled out to the suburbs. The [[Congaree Vista]] district along Gervais Street, once known as a warehouse district, became an area of art galleries, shops, and restaurants. The [[Colonial Life Arena]] (formerly known as the Colonial Center) opened in 2002, and brought several major entertainers and shows to Columbia. [[EdVenture]], the largest children's museum in the Southeast, opened in 2003. The [[Village at Sandhill]] shopping center opened in 2004 in northeast Richland County.

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center opened in 2004, and a new convention center hotel opened in September 2007. A public-private City Center Partnership has been formed to implement the downtown revitalization and boost downtown growth. In 2009, Columbia's most recent skyscraper, the Tower at Main and Gervais, was completed. Mayor [[Stephen K. Benjamin]] started his first term in July 2010, elected as the first African-American mayor in the city's history.
[[File:Gamecock Women's Basketball Parade 2022.jpg|thumb|[[South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball|Gamecock Women's Basketball]] parade after winning the national championship, April 2022]]
[[Founders Park]], home of USC baseball, opened in 2009. The South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team won two NCAA national championships in 2010 and in 2011. The [[2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team]], under coach [[Steve Spurrier]], earned their first appearance in the SEC championship. Historic flooding in the city in October 2015 forced the Gamecocks football team to move their October 10 home game. [[Segra Park]] (formerly Spirit Communications Park), home of the [[Columbia Fireflies]], opened in April 2016. In April 2017, the Gamecocks women's basketball team (under coach [[Dawn Staley]]) won their first NCAA championship, and the men's basketball team went to the Final Four for the first time. They won their second national championship in 2022 and third in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ignudo |first=Tom |date=April 7, 2024 |title=Philadelphia native Dawn Staley wins 3rd national championship at South Carolina in victory over Iowa |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/south-carolina-vs-iowa-dawn-staley-national-championship-womens-basketball/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |website=CBS News Philadelphia |language=en-US}}</ref>

A [[Mast General Store]] was opened in 2011. The [[Music Farm (music venue)|Music Farm]] (now called The Senate) opened a location in Columbia on Senate Street in 2014. In 2000, the Confederate battle flag was moved from the South Carolina State House to the Confederate monument. On July 10, 2015, the flag was removed from the monument to a museum in the wake of the [[Charleston church shooting]] a month before by Columbia-born resident [[Dylann Roof]]. In August 2017, the central path of a [[Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|total solar eclipse]] passed directly over the city and state capitol.

In March 2019, the [[murder of Samantha Josephson]] gained national attention. In [[Five Points (Columbia, South Carolina)|Five Points]], a neighborhood in Columbia known for its late-night bars, Samantha Josephson mistakenly entered into a car she believed was her [[Uber]]. The driver, Nathaniel Rowland, killed Josephson, sparking laws around the United States to further regulate rideshare companies. In South Carolina, the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Act requires rideshare drivers to display identifying lights and prohibits the misrepresentation of non-rideshare drivers as such.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2019-2020 Bill 4380: Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/4380.htm |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/4380.htm |website=sc.gov |publisher=State of South Carolina}}</ref> Similar laws passed in [[New Jersey]], [[North Carolina]], and [[New York (state)|New York State]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Emily |date=June 21, 2019 |title="New Jersey governor signs 'Sami's Law' for ride-sharing after death of college student" |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/jersey-governor-signs-samis-law-rideshare-safety-honor/story?id=63859131 |website=abcnews.go.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Levins |first=Savannah |date=August 15, 2019 |title=After rideshare scares, NC lawmakers sign Passenger Protection Act into law |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/investigations/investigators/after-rideshare-scares-nc-lawmakers-sign-passenger-protection-act-into-law/275-b616d715-60b1-460f-9555-96750abee015 |website=wcnc.com}}</ref><ref name="NY SENATE">{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Anna |date=April 3, 2019 |title=Senator Anna M. Kaplan Introduces Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act Following Tragedy in South Carolina |url=https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/anna-m-kaplan/senator-anna-m-kaplan-introduces-samantha-l-josephson |website=nysenate.gov |access-date=July 25, 2022 |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108205713/https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/anna-m-kaplan/senator-anna-m-kaplan-introduces-samantha-l-josephson |url-status=dead }}</ref> Rowland was caught, convicted, and sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rowland, Nathaniel David (00386010) Inmate |url=https://public.doc.state.sc.us/scdc-public/inmateDetails.do?id=%2000386010}}</ref> On December 28, 2022, federal legislation authorizing a study of ride-sharing safety practices, with passage by the US House and Senate, was sent to President Biden's desk.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 28, 2022 |title=H.R.1082 - Sami's Law |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1082/actions |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Salant |first=Jonathan D. |date=December 23, 2022 |title=Last-minute congressional blitz clears bill named for N.J. woman killed by fake Uber driver |work=NJ.com |url=https://www.nj.com/politics/2022/12/last-minute-congressional-blitz-clears-bill-named-for-nj-woman-killed-by-fake-uber-driver.html |access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>

In May 2019, 10,000 people marched at the [[South Carolina Statehouse|Statehouse]] in the "All Out Rally" to protest issues surrounding education, including low teacher pay, high student-to-teacher ratios, and the general underfunding of education. The protest was led by [[SC for Ed]], a [[Left-wing politics|left-learning]] state advocacy group for teachers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Anna |title=All Out SC teacher protest: 10,000 in 'largest gathering of teachers in history of SC' |url=https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/education/2019/05/01/all-out-sc-teacher-protest-rally-crowds-walkout/3632975002/ |website=Greenville News |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Liberal South Carolina 'Red For Ed' Group Pushes Teacher Walkouts |url=https://www.fitsnews.com/2020/12/07/liberal-south-carolina-red-for-ed-group-pushes-teacher-walkouts/ |website=Fitsnews |date=December 7, 2020 |access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref>

Following the [[murder of George Floyd]] in May 2020, protests and riots spread to [[George Floyd protests in South Carolina|South Carolina and Columbia]], which included the burning of several police cars and the breaking of business windows.

In 2021, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Daniel Rickenmann]] was elected [[Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina|mayor of Columbia]], defeating Democrat [[Tameika Isaac Devine]]. He succeeded [[Stephen K. Benjamin]], who did not seek reelection, in January 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Andrew |title=GOP defeats Obama-endorsed candidate in deep blue city that Biden won handily in 2020 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-defeats-obama-endorsed-candidate-deep-blue-city-biden |website=Fox News |date=November 17, 2021 |publisher=Fox |access-date=14 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fastenau |first1=Stephen |title=As Republicans laud Rickenmann's Columbia mayor win, many downplay impact on city politics |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/columbia/politics/as-republicans-laud-rickenmanns-columbia-mayor-win-many-downplay-impact-on-city-politics/article_d662b540-47e1-11ec-a4b1-a33fb3c19917.html |website=The Post and Courier Columbia |publisher=The Post and Courier |access-date=14 May 2022}}</ref>

On April 16, 2022, a [[Columbiana Centre shooting|mass shooting]] at the [[Columbiana Centre]] mall resulted in the injuries of 14 people. 10 were struck by gunfire while four sustained stampede-related injuries. Three men were arrested; Columbia police declared that the shooting was the result of an argument, not a random attack or [[terrorism]].<ref>{{cite web|title=$10,000 reward being offered for wanted suspect in Columbiana Mall shooting|date=April 18, 2022|url=https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/columbiana-centre-mall-shooting-update-latest-details/101-8b40ffdb-7771-4904-9b09-af9335820dae|access-date=2022-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Police make 2nd arrest in SC mall shooting, 3rd suspect wanted|date=April 18, 2022|url=https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/police-make-2nd-arrest-in-south-carolina-mall-shooting-3rd-suspect-wanted-columbiana-centre-marquise-love-robinson-jewayne-m-price}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Third suspect arrested in South Carolina mall shooting|date=April 21, 2022 |url=https://apnews.com/article/shootings-arrests-south-carolina-columbia-ceff642c3b0a6f19dabd44a423bd9800|publisher=AP NEWS|access-date=2022-04-21}}</ref>