Renaissance Publications & Educational Programs, LLC

Sweet Tea & Some History
2023-01-09 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | River House at River Island, 1570 River Island Parkway, Evans, SC, 30809, United States
Join us on Monday, January 9th, at 6:00 p.m. when Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr. will talk about the fascinating
story of Lavinia C. Thompson who was born into slavery in Aiken County, South Carolina on June 3, 1844.
She would follow her master into battle in the Civil War, serving the Confederate army as a cook, in military
assignments and campaigns in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Six decades later, Lavinia would
be among about 100 black South Carolinians who received small pensions for their involuntary service to the
Confederate cause.
This program is free and open to the public.
Location: River House at River Island 1570 River Island Parkway, Evans, Georgia
Monday, January 9th
6:00 p.m.
R.S.V.P.—Brenda Baratto; 803-270-9400, or,
brendasb@yahoo.co

Pee Dee Author Expo Sponsored By Florence County Library
2022-12-03 08:30 - 12:30 | Doctors Bruce and Lee Foundation Library, 509 S. Dargan Street, Florence, SC, 29506, United States
The Holiday Season is kicking in full swing on the road! I have been selected to participate in the 2022 Pee Dee Author Expo hosted by the Florence County Library on Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 8:30 AM-12:30 PM at the Doctors Bruce and Lee Foundation Library at 509 S. Dargan St. Florence, SC 29506, in the Stukes Meeting Room. The authors have been selected through an application process and offer works for sale in a variety of genres. My book, “The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol. 1, A Narrative History”, has been selected to represent the history category!
Dr. Louis Venters, Professor of History at Francis Marion University, will serve as moderator! I will giving away ten Chick-Fil-La cards worth $10.00 for the first 10 buyers of my book!! See you in the Pee Dee!!!

Book Discussion-The Center For African American History, Art, & Culture
2022-10-21 19:00 - 20:30 | The Center For African American History, Art, and Culture, 120 York Street NE, Aiken, SC, 29801, United States
Join the Center and Dr. Curry as we explore the first volume in a narrative history about the descendants of two families that share a common ancestor, Martha Kitchings Seawright Ellison. The book documents the beginnings of the family saga through Martha’s life during slavery, The Civil War, The Reconstruction Era, and family life in Aiken County and beyond!!

African American Genealogy Series: Writing Family History- The Narrative History Approach
2022-10-12 12:00 - 13:00 | SC
Please join us to learn from South Carolina genealogist and author Dr. Walter Curry, Jr. who will present on Writing Family History: The Narrative History Approach. Narrative history is the practice of writing history in a story-based form. It tends to entail writing based on reconstructing a series of short-term events about individuals or specific events in a broader context. Learn about how to write a narrative history about your relatives and the process in writing your family history book using the narrative history approach. Examples from the acclaimed book, The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol.1, A Narrative History will be used during the presentation.
The webinar is online. Click on the link, https://statelibrary.sc.libcal.com/event/9040131?fbclid=IwAR2JgK90Evl7Fjjkoesx28ht_vSrwFSI_dZF-tz_EU8LfGQ7OrlxBdxGpkc, to register.

Author Talk-Charleston County Public Library
2022-10-08 10:00 - 23:00 | Main Library-Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States
OCT 8: Join Walter B. Curry, Jr., Ed.D at Main Library for an Author Talk about the Thompson Family! Learn about Lavinia Thompson, who was born into slavery in 1844 and later received a pension for her service as a cook in the Confederate Army.
For full details visit: https://bit.ly/3Cbi8jS

Sumter County Genealogical Society-Sumter, South Carolina
2022-09-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Swan Lake Presbyterian Church, 912 Haynsworth Street, Sumter, SC, 29150, United States
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.

Genealogists to host event at Redcliffe Plantation exploring the history of slavery in Aiken County
2022-07-23 10:00 - 12:00 | SC
Aiken, S.C. – Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site in Beech Island invites the public to a special program, Slavery and War in Aiken County through the Reconstruction Era and Beyond, on Saturday, July 23 at 10 a.m.
The program will be led by award-winning author Dr. Walter Curry and genealogists Wayne O’Bryant and Jerome Gaines. The event will have a strong focus on the local area, and presentation topics will include slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction Era events that took place when Aiken County was founded and beyond.
Event details:

Date and time: July 23 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: The Visitor Center at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, 181 Redcliffe Rd, Beech Island, SC 29842
Cost: $10
Registration is required and closes on July 21: call 803-827-1473 or email redcliffe@scprt.com to register
Plan ahead: Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. The structures do not have air conditioning. Light refreshments will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring water.
For more information: Contact Ashley Rust, Park Interpreter, at 803-827-1473 or arust@scprt.com

Dr. Walter Curry is a native of Orangeburg who received the 2019 African American Historical and Genealogical Society Book Award (Non-Fiction Category-Genealogy). After the presentation, he will be available to sign copies of his books The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past and The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol.1, A Narrative History, which are available for purchase in the Redcliffe gift shop and at renaissancepubllc.c
About Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site: Completed in 1859, Redcliffe was once the home of South Carolina governor and senator, James Henry Hammond, three generations of his descendants, and numerous African-American families like the Henleys, Goodwins, and Wigfalls who worked at the site as enslaved laborers and later as free men and women. Now one of the many historic plantations South Carolina has opened to the public, this site encompasses Hammond’s ambition, wealth, and power, as well as the injustices and suffering of the hundreds of enslaved peoples who were forced to live and work on the land. Tours of the historic slave quarters and mansion are offered Thursday – Monday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Redcliffe was named one of the Top Ten Sites to Visit in South Carolina by the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission. For more information about Redcliffe and other South Carolina State Parks visit southcarolinaparks.com.

A Conversation with Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., Charleston County Library
2022-05-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Hurd-St. Andrews Library, 1735 N. Woodmere Drive, Charleston, South Carolina, 29407, United States
Join Dr. Curry for a conversation on his book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from The Past (1830-1960) at the Hurd-St Andrews Library Branch at 1pm PM on May 24st.
This is the fourth and final of a series of talks in partnership with the International African American Museum! There will books for sale and you can pre-order your book by clicking on the link, bit.ly/thompsonbook, to receive your book on site.

A Conversation With Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., Charleston County Library
2022-05-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Bees Ferry West Ashely, 305 Sanders Road, Charleston, SC, United States
Join Dr. Curry for a conversation on his book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from The Past (1830-1960) at the Bees Ferry-West Ashley at 2pm PM on May 21st.
This is the third of a series of talks in partnership with the International African American Museum! There will books for sale and you can pre-order your book by clicking on the link, bit.ly/thompsonbook, to receive your book on site.

A Conversation With Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., Charleston County Library
2022-05-12 04:00 - 17:00 | Edisto Island Library, 1589 Highway 174, Edisto Island, South Carolina, 29438
Join Dr. Curry for a conversation on his book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from The Past (1830-1960) at the Edisto Library at 4pm PM on May 12th.
This is the second of a series of talks in partnership with the International African American Museum! There will books for sale and you can pre-order your book by clicking on the link, bit.ly/thompsonbook, to receive your book on site.

African American Genealogy Webinar: Writing Family History- The Narrative Inquiry Approach
2022-05-04 08:00 - 17:00 | SC
Please join us to learn from South Carolina genealogist and author Dr. Walter Curry, Jr. who will present on Writing Family History: The Narrative Inquiry Approach. A narrative is a story or an account. While there is no mainstream research design in family history, narrative inquiry is a research method that uses narratives as units of analysis to contextualize and interpret to create meaning. Learn about how to incorporate narrative inquiry to research and write your family history book.
Walter B. Curry, Jr., Ed.D is a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Dr. Curry has published two award-winning books on genealogy research of his South Carolina ancestors. The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past (1830-1960), published in 2018, chronicles the reflections and experiences of his relatives that shed new light on African American History in Aiken County and South Carolina. His second work published in 2021, The awakening: the Seawright-Ellison family saga. Vol. 1, A narrative history, is the first volume in a narrative history about the descendants of two families that share a common ancestor, Martha Kitchings Seawright Ellison. The book documents the family saga of Martha’s family of sharecroppers in South Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. Dr. Curry received the 2019 International African American Historical and Genealogy Society Book Award and has been recognized by the South Carolina Legislature for his significant work in service to African American History and Heritage in South Carolina.
This webinar is great for anyone interested in learning more about South Carolina genealogy and how they might conduct their own family history research. Join us for more webinars in the African American Genealogy Series. The next program will be Sources for African American Genealogical Research at the SC Department of Archives & History with Steven D. Tuttle.
The South Carolina State Library welcomes people of all abilities to participate in our programs. If you need a reasonable accommodation in order to take part (please contact two weeks in advance), or have questions please contact Virginia Pierce at vpierce@statelibrary.sc.gov or (803) 734-8646. Closed captioning is available.
The South Carolina State Library is the primary administrator of federal and state support for the state’s libraries. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Library is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and other sources.

A Conversation With Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., Charleston County Library
2022-04-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Baxter-Patrick James Island, 1858 S.Grimball Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, United States
Join Dr. Curry for a conversation on his book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from The Past (1830-1960) at the Baxter-Patrick James Island Library at 1 PM on April 16.
This is the first of a series of talks in partnership with the International African American Museum! There will books for sale and you can pre-order your book by clicking on the link, bit.ly/thompsonbook, to receive your book on site.

Lower Richland Heritage & Genealogical Society
2022-03-20 15:00 - 16:00 | SC
Join me on next Sunday, March 20th, at 3pm for my presentation: “How to Write Your Family History: The Narrative History Approach sponsored by the Lower Richland Heritage & Genealogical Society! The event will be on Zoom!

Click on the link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZYtceqprzgsHNUpJlTQud9YZEIIB…

Black History Month/The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga Author Talk/Book Signing Event
2022-02-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Aiken Center For The Arts, 122 Laurens St SW, Aiken, SC, 29801, United States
Join us during Black History Month Saturday February 12th, 2022 at the Aiken Center For The Arts to learn about the amazing stories of two Aiken County African American families whose history goes back to slavery, the Reconstruction Era, the Civil Rights Movement, and the rise of African American gospel music featuring legendary gospel artist Tommy Ellison and his group, The Five Singing Stars.
Books will be available for purchase during the event.

2022 Spring Speaker Series: SC Department of Archives & History
2022-02-08 12:00 - 13:00 | SC
South Carolina African American Confederate Pensioners
This session explores the reasons why South Carolina used African American labor during the war; the diverse roles of African American labor during the war; SC approval of Confederate pensions for African Americans; notable features of the pension application; and notable South Carolina African American Confederate Pensioners. The session also offers suggestions for research and curation projects to broaden the stories of SC African American Confederate Pensioners.

Color of Artists Reception-Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta
2022-01-20 17:00 - 20:00 | Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta, 100 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC, 29841, United States

Holiday Bazaar, Aiken County Historical Museum, 433 Newberry Street SW, Aiken, SC, December 11th, 2021, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
2021-12-11 10:00 - 16:00 | SC

South Carolina Writers Association Authors Corner Virtual Interview, November 10, 2021, 5:30 PM
2021-11-10 17:30 | SC

Group Author Interview-2021 National Black Book Festival, October 22. 2021, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM
2021-10-22 12:00 - 13:00 | SC

2021 Jubilee Festival of Black History
2021-09-18 11:00 - 18:00 | SC
Come out to the Jubilee Festival of Black History & Culture sponsored by Historic Columbia! I will be selling my latest book, The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol.1, which is rank #65 of 100 books in the Historical Essays category!
The festival is free!

Southern Authors Expo
2021-07-10 10:00 - 16:00 | SC
July 10th, 2021-10:00 AM-4:00 PM, Southern Authors Expo, American Legion Hunt, 314 Penn Street, Edgefield, SC and flyer (see attachment).

Carolina Day Book Signing Event
2021-06-26 18:00 - 21:00 | SC
Rose Hill Estate
Sheffield’s Gardens
221 Greenville Street, Aiken, SC, 29801
Saturday, June 26th, 2021, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Books will be for sale with autograph
Event tickets are $75.00 per person.
(See Carolina Day image attached and upload)

Aiken County Historical Museum Lecture Series Event
2021-06-13 15:00 | SC
433 Newberry St SW, Aiken, SC 29801
Sunday,June 13th, 2021, 3:00 PM
Lecture Title: African American Stories from Turn of the Century – The Seawright-Ellison and Thompson Families by Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr.
Click on https://achmfriends.org/events/single-tickets/ (in-person tickets) or https://achmfriends.org/events/single-tickets-zoom/ (Zoom tickets)

Authors of South Carolina featuring Dr. Walter B. Curry
2021-02-18 19:00 - 20:00 | SC
Authors of South Carolina featuring Dr. Walter B. Curry-Thursday February 18th, 2020, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM, hosted by South Carolina State Library. Click on the link to join, https://statelibrary.sc.libcal.com/event/7406053

Using Narrative Inquiry in Family History
2021-02-04 13:00 | SC
Using Narrative Inquiry in Family History-Thursday February 4th, 2020, 1:00 PM–Interview with Bernice Bennett, Host of Research of the National Archives and Beyond. Click on the link to join, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/bernicebennett/2021/02/04/using-narrative-inquiry-in-family-history-with-walter-curry-jr-edd

Inaugural Literal Blast
2020-09-29, 2020-09-22 | SC
Inaugural Literal Blast
Book Discussion
September 22 & 29, 2020
Aiken Center for the Arts
Aiken, South Carolina

“The personal story through slavery in South Carolina, through war and beyond”
2020-08-28 | SC
“The personal story through slavery in South Carolina, through war and beyond”
Presentation
South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum
August 28, 2020
Columbia, South Carolina

“Connecting Genealogy and Community Service” Presentation
2020-08-06 | SC
“Connecting Genealogy and Community Service” Presentation
The Exchange Club
August 6th, 2020
Charleston, South Carolina

The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past (1830-1960) Presentation
2020-06-23 | SC
The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past (1830-1960) Presentation
Fountain Inn Museum
June 23, 2020
Fountain Inn, South Carolina
