Preach Jacobs Column: Remembering Joe Pinner of Columbia SC | Fight the Power

I was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. I believe that the hardest thing for public figures to accomplish in my 41 years is to be loved by everyone in the city. Before that feat was bestowed upon our living legends like Dawn Staley and three-time WNBA MVP A'Ja Wilson, there was someone else who could fall into that category: Joe Pinner, the WIS personality affectionately known to kids as “Mr. Knozit,” who passed away this week at the age of 89.

As a child, I had two goals in life: to be part of GI Joe and to be in an episode of “Mr. Knozit” (unfortunately, I didn't accomplish either of those, but that's between me and my therapist). As I got older, however, I realized that those feelings of a public figure like Pinner stayed with me. I realized that the show made kids feel important. He was our own Mr. Rogers at Columbia.

Pinner's warm, friendly nature made him a household name and endeared him to several generations of viewers. In addition to children's programs, he served as a weather forecaster and general broadcaster. His iconic voice and commitment to the community cemented his status as a local legend. Even after his retirement, Pinner's legacy continued to impact the Columbia region and reflects a career built on confidence, charm and devotion to his community.

Imagine a 20-year-old, dreadlocked (and much thinner) Preach Jacobs. I was performing at an event with a band, doing my early 2000s rap thing (which was my attempt to sound like a dead president mixed with De La Soul). When I finished, Joe Pinner stepped up to the mic and said, “All right! Preach Jacobs!” And he looked at me and said, “You can say a lot of words!”

That recognition made me feel like a six-year-old desperate to be on his show. I felt like I was worth a million dollars. He could have stroked my hair and given me a lollipop and it would have been on the list of most remarkable moments of my life.

After I posted about his death, I realized how many people not only shared our grief, but also had fond memories of youthful joy. Even at my family's Sunday Uno tournament, when I told them the news, my uncle told me he had been on an episode of “Mr. Knozit.” And my uncle is in his 60s (sorry, Stan, for pointing out your age so clearly.)