On March 11 and 12, Rhondda Thomas, the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson University, and three colleagues, historian Sara Collini, genealogist Deborah Robinson, and project manager Marjorie Campbell will visit Virginia Tech’s Reynolds Homestead in Critz, VA. Part of the team helping Clemson University uncover its hidden legacy of slavery, the four will discuss their collaborative approach to discovering and sharing history with two community-based events.
On Monday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. the Reynolds Homestead will host a dinner and conversation with Thomas and her colleagues. Black community members are especially encouraged to join the conversation and bring their own stories and photographs to share. The Reynolds Homestead will also share documents that were collected by historian John Whitfield who conducted research to learn names of the individuals who were enslaved at the Reynolds Homestead, formerly known as Rock Spring Plantation.
On Tuesday, March 12 at 8:30 a.m., Thomas and her team will return to Critz for a community breakfast at the Reynolds Homestead. They will provide a presentation on their work in the communities surrounding the Clemson University to gather and share stories of Black people who lived and worked there.
In July 2023, Kimble Reynolds, Jr., Kevin Reynolds, and Kenneth Reynolds joined Virginia Tech employees Julie Walters Steele, Susan Short and Diane Deffenbaugh on a visit to Clemson University to meet with Thomas and her team to learn about the work being done at Clemson University to share stories of the Black people who lived and labored at the University and In surrounding communities.
When Thomas first saw the list of the names of 50 enslaved persons in the 1854 deed for the sale of US statesman John C. Calhoun’s Fort Hill Plantation, she whispered the names aloud and vowed to share them with the world. Months earlier, she had learned Clemson University, her place of employment, was built on Fort Hill. Yet the names of the enslaved were not called during the tours of the plantation house that sits in the middle of campus. To document the stories of enslaved persons and other Black people who contributed to Clemson University history, Dr. Thomas realized she would need the assistance of her campus and local communities.
Through call and response —calling names aloud on social media, in a play, on a walking tour, in a 5K, on a heritage trail, in publications, in an exhibition, in public talks, etc.—and inviting the public to respond, her Call My Name project has developed into a multifaceted collaborative initiative that provides a space for all to help document and share these stories.
“I have been following Thomas’s work for more than a decade and I’ve been so impressed with how she engaged Clemson employees and area citizens in the collection of stories of people who had played such an important role in Clemson University’s history,” Walters Steele said. “I felt there was a lot we could learn and apply at the Reynolds Homestead and in our communities.”
Thomas led the visiting group on a tour of the campus and discussed Black men and women who helped build and provide services as the university was established- some were enslaved, others were convict laborers and later many were wage workers at the university.
Reflecting on the visit, Kimble Reynolds commented, “Every individual brings forth a name and legacy. The work at Clemson brings forth a reminder of how much value my ancestors provided in creating what is now referred to as the Reynolds Homestead, how the entire community benefits from their existence, and how deserving they are to be honored for their rightful place in history.”
Brothers Kevin and Kenneth Reynolds enjoyed spending time with genealogist Robinson, who was quickly able to help them find names of some of their ancestors. “What really struck me from our meetings with the team at Clemson is the importance for us to talk to each other to learn more about our ancestors and stitch these stories together and make them come alive,” said Kenneth Reynolds. “We need to be calling their names.”
Anyone who is interested in attending the events can register on the Reynolds Homestead website: www.reynoldshomestead.vt.edu or by calling the office at 276-694-7181.
If you need assistance with registrations or if you are an individual with a disability and desire accommodations, please contact Julie Walters Steele by email at jws@vt.edu or phone (276-694-7181 ext. 23) at least 5 business days prior to the event.
