Program: Writing Family History & SC African American Confederate Pensioners

Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., invites you to embark on a journey with him as he unravels the life story of his ancestor, Lavinia Thompson, and encourages others to explore and write their families’ stories, too.

Lavinia Thompson was born enslaved on June 3rd, 1844, in Aiken County. Lavinia followed her master into battle in the Civil War, serving the Confederate Army as a cook. Six decades later, she would be among about 100 black South Carolinians who received small pensions for their involuntary service to the Confederate cause. Dr. Curry will explore her story and the lives of other South Carolina African American Confederate Pensioners.

Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr., a native of Orangeburg, SC, received a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Carolina State University and has earned graduate degrees in education, which includes a doctorate degree in Curriculum & Instruction. In 2018, Dr. Curry launched Renaissance Publications, LLC, a self-publishing company that publishes books that focus on African American history through ancestry.