Sumter County Genealogical Society-Sumter, South Carolina

Author Walter B. Curry Jr., a native of Orangeburg, will be the guest speaker at the next membership meeting of the Sumter County Genealogical Society at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, in the fellowship hall of Swan Lake Presbyterian Church, 912 Haynsworth St., Sumter, SC.

Curry received a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Carolina State University and has earned several graduate degrees in education, including a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from Argosy University, Sarasota.

In 2018, Curry launched Renaissance Publications LLC and in September of that year, he published his first genealogy book, “The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past (1830-1960), which has been approved to use as a curriculum resource in several Aiken County schools. His second book, “The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga Vol.1, A Narrative History,” was released in June 2021. Both books chronicle the reflections and experiences of his relatives shedding light on African American history in Aiken County and South Carolina.

In October 2019, Curry received the 2019 African American Historical and Genealogy Society Book Award in the non-fiction category-genealogy for his book. In 2020, the South Carolina Legislature recognized Curry for his significant work in service to African American history and heritage in South Carolina. In addition, Curry was selected to South Carolina State University 40 Under 40 Inaugural Class for his professional accomplishments and dedication to the university.