USCB Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era Hosts Third Annual Spring Symposium: “Her Mark”
About 145 participants gathered at the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Center for the Arts on April 25-26, 2025, to take part in Breathing Democracy into Spaces, the third annual Spring Symposium hosted by USCB’s Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE). This year’s theme, “Her Mark: Women’s Voices During Reconstruction,” focused on the essential yet often underrepresented contributions of women during the Reconstruction Era—especially those connected to the 1st South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent, later designated the 33rd United States Colored Troops.
It was sponsored by a grant from USC's McCausland Fund, the two-day event featured 12 dynamic presentations by scholars, community leaders, and descendants of U.S. Colored Troops. Speakers and exhibits explored the contributions of women including Susie King Taylor, Laura Towne, Esther Hill Hawks, and Charlotte Forten Grimké in their pioneering roles in medicine, education, and activism during a critical moment in American history.
Keynote speaker Dr. Hermina Glass-Hill, executive director of the Susie King Taylor Women’s Institute in Georgia, opened the symposium with a stirring talk titled “My Unbounded Joy”: Susie King Taylor and the War of Jubilee. Her address brought to life the early experiences of Taylor, a fourteen-year-old Savannah girl turned Civil War nurse and memoirist, reminding attendees of the personal resilience and historical significance of African American women during and after the war.
Among the many highlights was a panel titled “Honoring the Service of the Men & Women of the 1st SC Volunteers of African Descent,” featuring Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges, LTC Rory McGovern of West Point. Dr. Najmah Thomas of USCB delivered a presentation on “As We Remember: A History of the Woman’s Relief Corps in Beaufort, SC,” a compelling look at a historic local women’s organization.
Student involvement was another cornerstone of the event. USCB History students Grayce Boozer, Aidan de la Torre, Thomas Grygowski and Madeline Jones, part of Dr. James Shinn’s Atlantic Slavery & Antislavery course presented original research on U.S. Colored Troop pension records, and Studio Art majors in Joanna Angell’s printmaking courses exhibited prints inspired by Sea Island history and the symposium theme. Madison Freyer with her map inspired print, Alexus Williams with her "I Was Busy" piece honoring Susie King Taylor, and Elizabeth Guilarte, whose print "More Than" honored two local women," attended the event and received high praise for their work.
The symposium's breakout discussions featured community leaders from the Penn Center, Mather School, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, and national partners including the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and West Point military academy. The Reconstruction Era Historical Park, an important long-time partner and supporter of ISRE, was represented by Park Historian Nathan Betcher and Park Ranger Samantha Mischke, a former USCB History student, who both were both featured speakers on Saturday, as well as the Park Chief of Interpretation Christopher Barr and Park Ranger Chanda Powell who represented the park to symposium attendees.
Throughout the event, attendees explored curated displays from the Beaufort County Library’s Beaufort District Collection, USCB Library, USC Press ,Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Mather School, and the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. Jane Ball Groom and her daughter Julia Groom, descendants of USCT Veteran Sgt. Julius Shemetella, and Stacey Bell, descendant of USCT Veteran Pvt. Daniel Grayson were featured speakers at the event, closing out the Saturday panels with stories about the women in their families that connected the past to the present.
The Robert Smalls Leadership Academy Choir, under the direction of Andrea Jones, performed Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” an anthem for strength, empowerment, and determination on the event's opening night. The audience enjoyed the voices of local 4th through 8th graders who recently starred at the Beaufort County School District's Black History Conference.
Dr. Valinda Littlefield, Rhonda Carey, and Elizabeth Laney—ISRE’s dedicated staff—coordinated the event with help from numerous partners. The symposium was made possible by the McCausland Innovation Fund, the Ernest A. Finney Cultural Arts Center, the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society, Dick and Sharon Stewart, and USCB.
As Dr. Glass-Hill reminded the audience: “To breathe democracy into spaces means honoring the unheard.” This year’s symposium lifted up the voices of Reconstruction-era women—those who taught, nursed, resisted and remembered.
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CW 04/29/25