Join us for a discussion of Dr. Walter Curry’s award-winning book The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past (1830-1960), the first of several volumes that do a narrative deep dive into the rich history and genealogy of the Thompson family of the lowcountry in South Carolina. Dr. Walter Curry is a direct descendant of Reverend Logan and Lavinia Corley Thompson. This program is in joint with this month’s featured Saul Alexander Gallery exhibit, “Ancestral Reflections: The Thompson Family.”

Inspired by Dr. Curry's book, "Ancestral Reflections: The Thompson Family" will visually feature the individual experiences of the relatives of the Thompson family. The paintings will feature an enslaved relative who demonstrated defiance that led to her being punished by the slave auctioneer, a relative who picked cotton to survive the hardships of sharecropping, a relative who survived slavery and later became a successful agribusinessman, and a relative who was locally lauded for his work in agriculture and pursed continuing education studies in agriculture.

The exhibition goals are to promote connections between family history visual storytelling and spoken word poetry, invite community conversations about family history and historical context through observation of the paintings, and reflect on how the arts can bring family histories to life. The exhibition seeks to bring family history to life affected by situation in the experiences and allowing the audience to feel affected by the situation in the stories and experiences, thus creating a deeper understanding and respect. QR Codes will be available, allowing visitors to download images, texts, and audio clips related to each painting and purchase art prints of the paintings. The author talk will highlight on the stories featured in the paintings in ancestral, historical, and cultural contexts. The exhibition is a collaboration between Dr. Walter B. Curry, founder of Renaissance Publications, LLC, and exhibition artist Chakalah Crawford, founder of A.D.D. Art by Kalah.

This program is supported by South Carolina Humanities, a not-for-profit organization; inspiring, engaging and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture and heritage. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom.