By Roxanne Cordonier
In a time when censorship and the rewriting of history – particularly African American history – are in the news, Dr. Rhonnda Thomas’ Call My Name project is especially significant.
Dr. Thomas is leading research on the role that enslaved people played in creating Clemson University on the site of a former plantation owned by John C. Calhoun. Prior to beginning her work, the subject was deemed “too controversial” to be discussed or explored. Dr. Thomas has uncovered the stories of enslaved people, convict laborers, domestic workers and sharecroppers, who all contributed their labor to create what we now know as Clemson University.
In the last few decades there has been a concerted effort to examine the origins of the establishment of South Carolina’s colleges and universities, specifically the part played by African Americans. She leads this effort at Clemson University, where she is the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature. Dr. Thomas is also the author of Call My Name Clemson: Documenting the Black Experience in an American University Community.
Dr. Thomas will be our featured speaker at the November meeting where she will discuss her research, and focus on the importance of individuals recording their individual and family experiences.
The title of the book and the ongoing research, Call My Name, reflects the call and response tradition in Black American culture, in which the musician, preacher or entertainer would give a call, after which the audience would give a response including singing, clapping or shouting. Dr. Thomas and her team are continuing to uncover the untold stories of unknown laborers who contributed to the history of Clemson University.
She was Clemson University’s Researcher of the Year in 2021. Dr Thomas is also writing a new play and producing an eight- part video series based on research for Call My Name.
Dr. Thomas is a sixth generation South Carolinian who believes that politics affects everyone personally. We are so pleased to have Dr. Thomas as our guest speaker for the November meeting of Democratic Women at noon on Nov. 11 at the Kroc Center, downtown Greenville.
Reservations to attend and choose to eat lunch are available until Nov. 6 at noon; late reservations to attend without lunch will be open to Nov. 8 at noon. If you can’t be at the meeting, you can join via Zoom.