We believe the idea of tradition is ingrained in the souls of Southerners. We have a relentless respect for our deep heritage and an unwavering dedication to living out the traditions of the past.
We believe tradition can be honored while simultaneously welcoming contemporary thought and style and that there is a movement to merge these two lifestyles through intentional, healthy and meaningful living.
We believe happiness is rooted in simplicity. If our minds and places are free of clutter, there is more room for things that matter.
We believe local is better. It’s about being a part of a larger community. It’s about connecting with
those who grow, catch, brew and create our food and that closer means fresher, tastier and healthier.
It’s choosing fruits and vegetables in season, drinking wines from vineyards in the region, seeking out the work of local artisans and supporting independent, locally owned stores.
We believe in leaving a positive fingerprint. The measure of our success will be the condition on which we leave the world for the next generation.
We believe these thoughts embody the emergence of the “New South” and we’re honored to be presenting this movement in our pages.
Thank you for joining us on this journey.
LIFE 8-13: AWAKEN YOUR SENSE OF WONDER on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails 18-23: A Duplet of Spring Rites Addictive Admiration for Pink & Alabaster Blossoms
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INNOVATION 66-71: TELLING DRAYTON HALL'S STORY: One Site, Different Viewpoints 72-76: NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL Sen. Thomas Alexander and the intersection of life and work
24-29: TONIC for the SOUL 30-33: TUGALO HOLLER 34-37: COULD'VE DANCED ALL NIGHT! The delightful lifelong recital of South Carolina's Kerri Grimsley Roberts
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FLAVOR 42-43: A SOUTHERN PUNCH Artillery style...Celebrating Small Pleasures 44-45: ROLL with the PUNCHES 46-49: DELECTABLE DESSERTS (with a healthy punch)
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This past year has been full of challenges, with stress and anxiety looming over us and ugliness lurking in the corners. Through it all, we must – MUST – look for the beauty that surrounds us. Otherwise, the darkness takes over. And that, my friends, is unacceptable. I have challenged myself to find the beauty in my life: beauty in nature, beauty in art, beauty in people. Beauty anywhere and anyway I can find it. Why? Because it’s out there and despite the forces around us that keep incessantly talking about why things are terrible, I am in control of my thoughts and I will not allow “ugliness” to be the lens through which I see life. Am I still concerned about our country? Of course. Do I still think about the ramifications of Covid? Absolutely. Do I worry about how this is affecting my family? You bet! But I am no longer obsessing over these things or allowing them to take my eyes off the things that are also very wonderful. I challenge you to turn off your TV, walk away from your computer, leave your phone on the kitchen table and go for a walk. Sit on ground and take a deep breath. Focus on the liveliness that surrounds you. Listen to the sounds of the great outdoors. Nature is healing. Go to an art gallery, or to the theater, or, read a classic novel. Find some loveliness and inspiration in art. Maybe just pick up the phone and talk to a dear friend, hug your child (no matter what their age) or treat your parents to a special dinner. So, so, many ways to enjoy what is right in our world instead of focusing on what is wrong. In this issue we wanted to showcase things of beauty: in nature, food, art, music, and people. We hope you enjoy the words and the images, and we hope you’re inspired to seek out the beauty in your own life
“ T h o u g h w e t r av e l t h e w o r l d o v e r t o f i n d t h e b e au t i f u l , w e m u s t c a r ry i t w i t h u s o r w e f i n d i t n ot . ”
–EMERSON
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Michelle McCollum CEO & Editor in Chief Anna Joyner Artistic Director & Production Manager Yuka Greer Managing Editor & Operations Director Abbey Stevens Editorial Assistant
Cover & Back Cover Photo by Christopher John
SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Don Alexander
Bob Alexander
Bobbi Kennedy
Ken Durham
Donna Livingston
Rhoda Green
Neal Workman
Pete Weathers
SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR Publisher Profits from The Southern Edge will go back into the preservation, conservation, and environmental educational programs of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to tell nationally significant stories.
SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
The content provided is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. The Southern Edge Magazine (TSE) does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the magazine. Reliance on any information provided by TSE, TSE employees, other contributors appearing on print issues, website, social network, and other digital platforms is solely at your own risk.
ROY SCOTTWRITER
Roy Scott retired as Clemson University's director of Public Service Marketing in 2010. He was also the executive producer of the popular ETV Radio program, Your Day, with on-air features about South Carolina arts and music. He now lives just a few minutes from the Clemson campus with his wife, Diane, and enjoys volunteer work with international students, senior adults and military veterans.
TOM POLANDWRITER
PHIL GAINES WRITER
MAYUMIFOOD ADVISOR
GEORGE McDANIEL WRITER
Tom Poland grew up in Lincoln Phil Gaines is a Professor of County, Georgia, and graduated Practice in the Parks Recreation from the University of Georgia and Tourism Management with degrees in Journalism and Department at Clemson Education. He taught at the University. Phil completed a 37University of Georgia, Columbia year career in State Parks in 2018. College, and the University He began his career in parks as an of South Carolina. He writes entry level Park Ranger at Kings about nature and the South Mountain State Park and served and its people, traditions, and as Park Superintendent at three lifestyles. His work appears in different state parks. Phil served books & magazines, journals, as Director of South Carolina and newspapers throughout the State Parks for 13 years. Phil also South. He’s a member of the S.C. served on the Board of Directors Humanities Speakers Bureau. for the National Association of Tom is a recipient of the Order of State Park Directors, and the Palmetto. He lives in Columbia, National Association of State South Carolina. Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers.
Mayumi is an anti-aging food adviser from Anti-Aging Food Association based in Tokyo. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and her daughter. Mayumi spreads the philosophy of healthy eating through her cooking classes. We are always willing to consider freelance photographers & contributors. Please send queries to info@thesouthernedgemagazine.com
George W. McDaniel has devoted his professional life to historic preservation and education. Currently he is president of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, which offers strategic services to museums and historical organizations. In 2016 he retired after 26 years as Executive Director of Drayton Hall in Charleston, SC. He is consistently kept in the real world by his wife of 38 years, Mary Sue Nunn McDaniel, a former teacher. mcdanielconsulting.net
W. THOMAS SMITH, JR. WRITER
DARLENE GREENE WRITER
W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a formerly deployed U.S. Marine Infantry leader, counterterrorism instructor, and retired colonel in the S.C. Military Department. A New York Times bestselling editor and an internationally acclaimed writer whose work has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines worldwide, Tom has traveled to Iraq, the Balkans, elsewhere and other wars. He is also a senior officer with the National Security Task Force, South Carolina Floodwater Commission. Among Tom’s awards, honors, and military decorations, he is a 2019 recipient of the Order of the Palmetto.
For over 30 years, Darlene has sought knowledge, training and tools to live a healthier, more spiritually connected life. Certified in numerous energy healing modalities such as Reiki, Ama Deus, Access Bars and Intuitive Counseling, Darlene loves assisting others in finding their truth and their life's passions. She is ordained by the Universal Life Church Ministries in order to offer spiritual counseling to those that prefer a non-denominational, nontraditional approach. Darlene is married, has one grown son, two rescued dogs, Finn (pictured) and Ginger, and two rescued cats, Smokey and Bandit.
JANE JENKINS HERLONG - WRITER
JAMES SAXON WRITER
Jane Jenkins Herlong is a Sirius XM Humorist, bestselling/award-winning author, professional singer, recording artist and professional Southern humorist. A recent inductee into the prestigious Speakers Hall of Fame, Jane is the best-selling author of four books. A former Miss America contestant, Jane’s award-winning singing and comedy is featured on Sirius XM Radio, Spotify and Pandora Internet Radio. For speaking engagements visitjaneherlong.com
James "Jamie" Saxon is a Red Hills and Cotton native of the South Carolina Upcountry, to which he returned after a couple of decades in other places. A graduate of Furman University, the University of South Carolina, and the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, he has been a college administrator, worked in private practice and public service, and currently is associate probate judge for Anderson County. He loves books, jazz, food, friends, labs, and his crazy Southern family.
Glass artist Ronnie Hughes draws inspriation from flowers found in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills of North Carolina. Pictured here, Wild Susans with Goosenecks.
WESTERN NC INFORMATION: BLUERIDGEHERITAGE.COM
Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington purchased four adjoining rice plantations in an area between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1930. They had intended to use this 9,000acre property as their winter home. Yet only one year later a new dream emerged, and Brookgreen Gardens was incorporated as a private, non-profit corporation entitled "Brookgreen Gardens, A Society for Southeastern Flora and Fauna.” This year marks its 90th anniversary.
From magnificent sculptures and seasonal gardens to rotating art exhibits and the annual Night of a Thousand Candles, Brookgreen Gardens is a must-see attraction in South Carolina for any time of the year. Come out and celebrate 90 years of beauty at this most magical of places.
Brookgreen was America’s first sculpture garden and is now home to the largest and finest collection of American figurative sculpture. From its inception, Brookgreen had a three-pronged purpose: first, to collect, exhibit, and preserve American figurative sculpture; second, to collect, exhibit, and preserve the plants of the Southeast; and third, to collect, exhibit, and preserve the animals of the Southeast. Those were lofty goals in the 1930’s, yet they have been masterfully executed, winning Brookgreen national acclaim. Brookgreen is one of a select number of institutions that are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums, as well as being designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Brookgreen’s zoo is made up of native wildlife of South Carolina. The zoo is part of the AZA’s Species Survival Program, helping to maintain threatened and endangered species, such as the North American River Otter. Coming soon, Brookgreen will be adding a Red Wolf Habitat to the Lowcountry Zoo. The Red Wolf is one of the most endangered canids in the world, as years of hunting and habitat loss had driven the species to the brink of extinction by 1970. Brookgreen Gardens Lowcountry Zoo is dedicating four acres to house and breed Red Wolves in cooperation with the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan.
Christopher John
Many special celebrations are planned for the 90th anniversary year. The first is the opening of a new 5,000 square foot gallery space, The Rosen Galleries. The inaugural exhibition for these beautiful galleries is Wild World: 200 Years of Nature in Art. As the exclusive venue for the National Sculpture Society’s Annual Awards Exhibition, the 88th Annual Awards Exhibition will be held at Brookgreen June 12 – August 22nd when visitors to the Gardens have the opportunity to see the best from experienced master sculptors and new talent.
Christopher John
Brookgreen honors the memory and the legacy of the enslaved West Africans that built the four plantations that make up the property through interpretive history exhibits such as the Lowcountry Trail and the Gullah Geechee Gaardin. Programming and exhibits celebrating Gullah Geechee culture are overseen by Ron Daise, Vice President for Creative Education, himself a descendant of enslaved persons from Sierra Leone and well known to a generation as “Mr. Ron” from the Nickelodeon Television Show “Gullah Gullah Island.”
A family matter in the spring of 2014 led to my second rite of spring. After a tough May weekend in Georgia caring for my ailing mom (she had less than a year to live), I took a different route back to Irmo. I didn’t care if it was longer. Not only had I slap worn out Highway 378; I had memorized every inch of the road on both sides after forty-six years of driving it. In McCormick, I exited 378 and took Highway 28 toward Augusta. In Plum Branch, I took a left onto Highway 283. From there I knew I could take Walker Road to Highway 23 back towards Irmo. I’d get to see the orchards bearing peaches, yet another beauty pageant. Crossing Stevens Creek a few miles east of Plum Branch I glimpsed white flecks and dark greenery amid rocks and boulders. It couldn’t be I thought. It just can’t be. I came back a week later to verify my find. It was. I had discovered a colony of rocky shoals spider lilies unknown to me. Somehow I had never heard of this colony less than an hour from the orchards. Thus began another ritual, my second rite of spring. Babylon had hanging gardens and South Carolina has billowing river gardens. Rocky shoals spider lilies—what a sight to behold. Just how majestic are they? “I’ve seen little old ladies weep at their first sighting of this plant,” said Dr. Larry Davenport, the plant’s foremost expert. The long petals gave rise to the spider moniker but I prefer to think of the flowers as crowns. The lilies bloom from mid-May into June. Exquisite and ephemeral, the blooms open at night and last but a day. Blooms aplenty keep coming. A survivor from the pre-European landscape, shoals lilies prefer rocky rivers, plummeting elevation, and clean, free-flowing water. That translates to no dams, no impoundments. When you see the shoals lilies at Stevens Creek you get an idea of what the Piedmont looked like before the big dams rose. With so many shoals beneath lakes, this tenacious plant has little habitat to cling to. I should add that the magnificent colony on Stevens Creek got some much-needed help. Funding from the South Carolina Conservation Bank and SC Native Plant Society helped
Naturaland Trust assured a 13-acre refuge for this stunning colony. Support came from Upper Savannah Land Trust as well. The refuge provides a glorious setting for the colony, and Stevens Creeks, truth be told, is more like a river. Each spring I make expeditions to Stevens Creek’s colony of rocky shoals spider lilies for a simple reason: it offers photographers, artists, writers, and nature lovers a dreamscape seldom seen. You lose track of time and worries in the presence of Hymenocallis coronaria, an aquatic, perennial flowering plant species endemic to the Southeast. (An even bigger, more dramatic colony lives just up the border at Anthony Shoals on Georgia’s Broad River. I visit both colonies the same day, doubling my adventure, doubling the beauty.) This past spring I visited Stevens Creek three times. The first time, heavy rains had the creek high and heavy with silt. Most lilies hid, submerged. A few days later a good many lilies tossed their regal crowns about. My third visit found the creek at normal flow but peak bloom had passed. Even so, beauty aplenty lingered. I waded out and leaned over a pristine bloom to take in its fragrance. A lemony-sugary perfume rose, subtle yet heady. To see shoals lilies is to see butterflies and hummingbirds too. From March’s cold mornings to the balmy days of June, I keep the road hot. From delicate pink petals to the ivory blossoms of rocky shoals spider lilies, I see abundant beauty. Breathtaking beauty transpires at dawn when low-angled beams of light strike the orchards and lilies. It’s a show many a sleepyhead misses. If you’re among the ranks of those who seldom see a sunrise, do yourself a favor. Set your clock and drive Highway 23 come March and see clouds of pink, and later make a trip to see the rocky shoals spider lilies. You’ll find them blooming mid-May into June at Stevens Creek, Georgia’s Anthony Shoals, and Landsford Canal State Park near Chester. But, ladies, be forewarned. If it’s your first time seeing these regal flowers, take tissues with you. And you men? I doubt you go at all unless you have the soul of an artist.
Words & Editorial photos by Phil Gaines
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I have always found solace in a walk in the woods, the opportunity to get away from the grind to break away from the routine and the pressures of life. The pressures of life have certainly changed in the last year, routine is anything but, and the need to escape an unfamiliar world with something familiar is not just a yearning but a necessity. I made some time for a walk. Join me. A walk alongside the Middle Saluda River at Jones Gap has always been an activity that is not only enjoyable, but therapeutic. As you leave the parking lot you take a trail that leads you to the river where a bridge carries you from a world filled with uncertainty and troubles to a place of wonder. As you cross the bridge the enchantment of the river, the unmistakable fragrance of the forest, and the shadows of the Eastern Continental Divide consume you in the most delightful way. The sight of the river, as it maneuvers across the rocks of time, edged by the forest of my youth, unbound by clocks and deadlines, reverberates my soul. The sounds, boisterous yet relaxing and peaceful, delivers me to another place; a place of serenity, inspiration, and rejuvenation. The highs and lows of life seem to be reflective in the river as it turns from white to the translucent, slowly making its way to the mighty Atlantic. The sense of wonder the river provides produces a feeling of peace and calm. The world’s problems and uncertainties are left on the other side of the bridge. In just a few short minutes the forest has provided just the therapy I needed.
Nature therapy, or ecotherapy, is not a new concept, In fact, one could argue that it has been around since the beginning of time. Cyrus the Great of ancient Persia planted a garden in the middle of the city to improve the people’s health. From the gardens of early European cities to the parks and protected areas of America, nature has always played a part in our physical, mental, and spiritual health. In the 1980’s the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries coined the term shinrin-yoku witch in Japanese literally means “forest bath." It has become a cornerstone of preventative health care and healing in Japan.
A walk in nature may be just what the doctor ordered for these times. No special level of fitness is required, rather a desire to find that place that inspires calm, relaxation and rejuvenation. Just 17 miles north of Beaufort on a forested road that bears its name is Old Sheldon Church, the ruins of a 18th century structure built in the English Georgian style using Roman Tuscan columns that give it a look of grandeur. A short walk under the majestic live oaks draped with Spanish moss seem to shield the site from the outside world. Find a spot and stand beneath live oaks so massive you feel small in more ways than one. Take your time. Use all your senses; sight is the easiest, but you can also smell and taste the unmistakable air of the low country filled with aromas of the nearby marshes and tidal basins. Touch the columns that once sheltered a place of worship centuries ago and feel the history of this special place. Saunter through the church and look upwards to the blues and whites of a sky looking through the centuries old live oaks that provide a canopy of hope to a structure that continues to give. Nature does that, it reminds us that after every winter there is a spring, filled with flowers, new growth, and renewed spirit.
Two hundred and thirty miles north of the ruins of Old Shelden Church lies another structure nestled in the forest, the Poinsett Bridge. The oldest bridge in South Carolina built in 1820 and named after Ambassador Joel Poinsett, the stone bridge which is highlighted by a 14-foot Gothic arch allowing Little Gap Creek to pass through. As you walk across the bridge’s dirt and rocky base you are inspired by the forest that is filled with hardwoods that define the South Carolina mountains. A walk down the trail steps and you see the arch, your mind is quickly taken back to a time when bridges where works of art. The arch and the creek quickly take you to another place. Listen to the water as it flows through the arch, down the rocks and through the forest. Use your senses and feel the forest. As you make your way back to the parking lot you give the bridge in the middle of a forest one more look and realize that sometimes looking at a bridge is as important as crossing it.
Nature therapy, ecotherapy, shinrin-yoku, or a walk-in-nature – whatever term you use - the timing could not be better. I will end where the day begins in South Carolina, on the edge of the North American continent, sunrise on the coast of Carolina. The dawn inspires calm, with only the sounds of the waves reaching the thousands of grands of sand that comprise “the beach”. Focus on the horizon, as the sun makes its way above the reaches of the Atlantic to usher in a new day. You once again feel small, left amazed by the colors, the sounds, and limitlessness of the panorama that immerses you in possibilities of a new day. The start of a new day, literally and symbolically, make it count. Spring is here! Don’t miss this one. Spend some time in nature, catch a sunrise or a sunset, notice the tenderness of the leaves as they emerge from the winter’s bareness. The spring wildflowers that search for the sunlight and appear to announce that spring is here. Suddenly the winter winds become summer breezes, and the sounds of birds fill the trees. Your tonic awaits, find your spot, be sure to use all your senses, take your time, remember it’s the journey, not the destination.. See you outside.
Words by Roy Scott
ased in Westminster, along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Tugalo (pronounced Two-ga-Low, as in the name of the nearby Tugaloo River) Holler is a six-piece
band that plays old standards, gospel, original songs, and songs they have “bluegrassified.” Since playing their first concert in 2001, they
The current roster of Tugalo Holler consists of Bradley Webb
music venues across upstate South Carolina, northeast Georgia
mandolin, Michael “Porkchop” Branch on upright bass, Jessica
have performed at churches, festivals, wedding parties, benefits and and western North Carolina. They have shared the stage with
groups such as Mountain Heart, New Found Road, The Dillards, The Chuck Wagon Gang, and even with country superstar John Anderson.
on guitar, Michael Hill on banjo and vocals, Dennis James on Hudson on vocals and Stephen Hudson on fiddle and vocals.
Once you’ve heard them play, it’s evident that they pay attention to the bluegrass tradition, but they are not bound by it. Instead, they use it as a foundation, and branch off into several other areas.
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Words by W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
Soon thereafter Kerri developed an interest in and a lifelong love of ballet. “It became my favorite thing,” she says. “I was at the studio for classes every day, and performing was my deepest joy.” Then there was – and is – Kerri’s angelically mellisonant voice: “I always sang,” she says. “Music was in my blood.” Indeed, Kerri sang her first solo in church at age four. “My dad was a pastor and my mom was a contemporary Christian singer,” Kerri says. “When Mom recorded her first album in 1987 [when Kerri was 10], I got to sing a couple of things with her which I thought was super cool!” As a teenager, Kerri was part of a vocal group, along with her mother. The group, Partners in Praise, traveled around the Southeast. “We were singing concerts in churches,” she says. “I was also a dedicated member of my high school show-choir, Knight Edition. These people were also my closest friends in high school.” As a high school senior, Kerri won first place in a national teen talent competition, and in college she studied music; earning a bachelor of music degree in vocal performance at Columbia College in 1999. But her love of dancing, especially ballet, never waned. Throughout her college years, Kerri performed with the Columbia Classical Ballet Company under the direction of Radenko Pavlovich. “It was during those years that I fell in love with opera and musical theater when I discovered that they fulfilled all the things I loved to do all in one art form,” Kerri says. “The stage became my absolute happy place.”
is to introduce school-age children to the joys of opera. “In early 2002, we toured the region performing a hilarious rendition of The Three Little Pigs which told the familiar story through well-known Mozart arias with rewritten lyrics,” says Kerri. “And when the trip required an overnight stay I got to bring little Caleb ‘on the road’ with us. This is also when I met and began working with Dr. Greg Boatwright, who remains my dear friend and favorite accompanist.”
Kerri’s bachelor of music degree at Columbia College led to a masters in vocal performance from the University of South Carolina (USC) in 2001. She also met future husband Brent Roberts while still a student at Columbia College.
Also, when the Palmetto Opera was in its infancy, Kerri was asked to sing at a fundraising gala held at the Columbia Museum of Art in conjunction with The South Carolina Philharmonic and alongside noted singers, tenor Walter Cuttino and mezzosoprano Helen Tintes-Schuermann, who were both then on the faculty at USC. “Singing with them was such a delight, and I just specifically remember the gratitude and vivacious responses of that audience,” Kerri says. “It was such a fulfilling concert experience.” In 2005, Kerri received a phone call from acclaimed band director Gordon “Dick” Goodwin, who asked if she would be interested in singing in China. Goodwin’s call led to Kerri’s performing for a fundraising event held for the Beijing Olympics in Guangzhou, China.
“He was a quiet jokester who I thought was super cute and who loved Jesus,” Kerri says. “We were part of the same friend-group in the college ministry at First Baptist Church of Columbia. We went on our first date in July of 1997 and were married in January of 1999 in the middle of our senior year of college. Crazy? Yes. But when you know, you know.”
“There, I was treated like a movie star, pampered with hair and makeup crews, and honored with such incredible hospitality,” Kerri says. “I performed a program of opera and musical theater accompanied by a local symphony with an American conductor at the helm who had also been invited by our hosts.”
According to Kerri, the two had planned to marry, then Kerri would complete her masters, and that would be followed by her pursuit of her theatrical and music career.
All this, and local performances of Maria in West Side Story, Maria in The Sound of Music, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and Mary in Mary Poppins: The first Mary Poppins performance being in 2015.
“Brent had a business degree, so we figured he could work anywhere,” she says. “But God had a different plan. Before I even finished grad school we learned that we were pregnant. What a shock! Caleb was born in March 2001 and I finished grad school in August. My world was turned upside down by this precious boy.”
“My favorite musical theater role to date has been that of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady,” she says. “Being Eliza was pure bliss. And I desperately hope to get to perform that role again before I’m completely too old!”
Kerri continued auditioning and looking for performance opportunities, but she quickly realized that she was not “the kind of person who could do well at mothering while also trying to break into a cutthroat career.” She instead pursued things closer to home.
Kerri’s second child, Gracyn, was born in 2003, followed by Maddie in 2007, and Ellie the following year. “Bonus baby Ellie was an absolute shocker surprise in 2008,” says Kerri. “The final addition was Thomas who came to us through adoption in 2010 after we had relocated our family to the mission field in the southcentral African nation of Zambia.”
“I had the opportunity to perform with many professional groups in S.C. – choirs, symphonies, and opera groups,” Kerri says. “I had the chance to work with some wonderful and talented artists.” And they with her. Among what Kerri refers to as standout memories are: Touring with FBN Productions, Inc., Opera for Kids,, which was founded in 1994 and directed by Ellen Schlaefer. FBN’s mission was and
Kerri loves Africa. Her husband Brent first fell in love with Africa during a summer-long mission trip in 1995. And in 2008, Kerri and Brent gathered their young and moved to Zambia. “We fell in love with Africa and her people,” says Kerri. “God imprinted Africa on our family’s hearts and then gave us a vision for building a ministry that can help others experience the same thing.”
The family returned to South Carolina from Zambia in 2014. Brent has since traveled there and back. The mission? AFRICA FREEDOM MISSION, launched in Aug. of 2019, is a Christian ministry that sends teams to Africa on mission “with a heart focus on spirit-led discipleship,” says Kerri. Soon after Kerri returned from Zambia in 2014, she and Carrie Moss Ballentine, Kerri’s close friend from her First Baptist Church days, produced an album of Christian music, entitled, “Fixing our eyes.” CHRIST IS EVERYTHING to Kerri, she says: “I gave my life to Christ, as much as I could understand that, at a very young age. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know God’s presence in my life, and I’ve always, always very easily believed that His words are true.” She adds, “Of course all our lives we get to know God more deeply as we walk through the beautiful and the horrible things of this life. My life is no exception. He constantly breaks the boxes that I unconsciously put Him in and shows me how much more of Him there is. More than I will ever fully comprehend. And also how much more He has for me. And I want all of it!” Kerri loves God’s Word: Her favorite passage of Scripture being Psalm 91.
Photos from Town Theatre
Is there any irony to this beautiful life? “I HATE being the center of attention,” she laughs. Those who know Kerri best, know this to be true.
Just because your church is small does not mean you cannot have a large worship experience. Our small church, Harmony UMC, decided to throw a last-minute Easter pageant. Faithful Harmonites wrote the script, made costumes, and decorated the church for reenacting the Passion of the Christ. Our cast consisted of some faithful church members: Wendell portraying Jesus, along with Joe Ben, and Brad as the Roman soldiers, and a few congregants as the angry mob. Sweet Genna, wife of one of the Roman soldiers must have been inspired by the popular show, Saturday Night Live. Wearing bathrobes, Genna literally topped off their costumes with massive tinfoil, pointed hats. Brad, and Joe Ben looked like SNL’s Cone Heads. To be honest, it was hard to take them seriously. Wendell, portraying Jesus, forgot to buy some fake blood so someone ran over to the fellowship hall and poured ketchup on him. With the lights dimmed and the smell of McDonalds in the air, the passion play began. Several in the angry mob were planted in the congregation. Those sitting around one “mobster” were not informed there would be an outburst of angry cries. Suddenly Betty, wife of the man portraying of Jesus, stood to her feet, on cue and yelled, “Crucify him!” In hindsight, the wife of the man portraying Jesus was not a good choice to yell “crucify him.” One congregant, not knowing this was part of the script, was so taken aback that she thought Wendell and Betty had had an argument. She exclaimed loudly, “What is wrong with you?” To add to the drama, our minister was having some memory issues. He instructed the congregation to light their candles, but we had no candles. Being a faithful church member, I hurriedly made my way to the closet filled with our church supplies. I opened a dark closet and spotted a box of candles. Eight months pregnant with Holmes, I was constantly washing my hands trying to avoid contact with germs. Hesitantly, I reached into the dark closet. As I fished out the 38
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much-burned candles I was amazed by how many small, black wicks were in that box. On closer inspection, I realized that those were not burned candlewicks—they were mouse droppings! You know the saying…the show must go on. As we were lighting the candle nubs with protective paper underneath, our minster made an unwise suggestion. “If you feel led of the Lord to speak, please do.” Now our little church is old and historic. Burning candles is always a risk. But leave it to my hubby, Thomas to be inspired to share. And share he did. He could not see me making gestures to hurry up; most of the candles had down burned down to the little square paper. One shy friend of mine who will remain nameless (‘cause he would never speak to me again if I mentioned his name), ever so gently and discreetly tried to blow the candle out. Quietly blowing out his candle created a towering inferno like I have never seen. To say the least, we went off script. The last image I have of that Easter passion play was seeing two Roman soldiers with pointed tinfoil hats, and Jesus drenched with Heinz ketchup stomping the floor to get the fire out. All things considered, it was a success. We decided that the Holy Spirit showed up as a flaming inferno in the final scene. Some Southern worship experiences you can’t make up. What matters is not necessarily a passion play but passion in the hearts of the players.
Jane is the best-selling author of four books and a professional Southern humorist. For speaking engagements visit janeherlong.com
I don’t see dead people like the movie, but I do have a lot of invisible things in my life. How about you? I don’t mean the invisible man or ghosts (though I won’t rule out ghosts, it’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever seen one), but much more important things. You’re asking yourself what is this fellow going on about. Besides the people in my life, most of what I consider important and necessary for an authentic life is invisible. Honor. Integrity. Respect. Joy. Hope. Faith. Duty. Kindness. And most important? Love, of course. Please don’t misunderstand, because I know we experience these wonderful characteristics, I hope we display them in how we conduct ourselves in this temporary realm, but we don’t see them with our eyes or touch with our hands. Perhaps you’ll agree with me, however, that they very much exist and are of great import. With changing seasons, we see the budding and evolving of life everywhere around us. But the past year has been interesting, to use an understatement, and we may need more of these invisibilities (it isn’t a word, but should be) in our lives. Do you agree? Everyone, from the richest to the poorest, the youngest to the oldest, of whatever race, creed, or color, can exhibit these invisibilities, and we understand when we’re on the receiving end of them. And you know what? They’re free. They take some effort, maybe a little concentration and practice, but they cost nothing, and despite that lack of monetary cost they give returns beyond measure. Let’s not delude ourselves into thinking these characteristics once were more in line with how we behaved and conducted ourselves in years past because as our Louisiana brothers and sisters may say, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose (the more things change, the more they stay the same). Let’s face it together: 2020 brought more disease, divisiveness, and discord than many have ever seen in our lifetimes, and no good comes of those things. But plenty of good comes from the invisibilities. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions—they almost always consist of things
like respect, joy, hope, faith, duty, kindness, and love and love in life; to share it, revel in it, and enjoy it. What if we all made a similar resolution. What amazing changes we would see in our society. What do political views and disagreements matter in comparison to kindness? Hate has no power over love, do you agree? What does it hurt to respect someone’s opinion even if it’s diametrically opposed to yours/ours— unless it’s hateful or racist or harmful to others? Doesn’t it help to have some hope even in the midst of awful circumstances? Is the duty to care for our brothers and sisters, to vote, to pray or send good thoughts toward our elected officials take that much effort? Doesn’t it feel terrific to return kindness for unpleasantness? Let’s take a look back at our childhoods for a moment. We were not taught we were always right. We were not taught we should always have our way. We were taught to share, to compromise, that our opinions aren’t the only ones which matter, much less that someone who disagrees with us always is wrong. Certainly, most of us were not taught to hate (and if we were, we should have grown out of it by adulthood). Were any of us taught that kindness is bad? Of course not. If folks practice their faith in a different way from us, isn’t it interesting to learn more about their practices than to expect them to be just like us? Each of us, I’m willing to bet my bottom dollar, wants a good and happy life for our children, families, and loved ones. We want the security of food on the table, clothes on our backs, roofs over our heads, jobs that are at least sometimes satisfying and rewarding. Everyone else wants the same things, so why aren’t we busy helping each other obtain them? Remember the exhortation that as you do to the least amongst you, you do to Me? As far as I know, the Lord hasn’t changed his mind on that, so why should we?
We don’t know what the coming months and years may bring, but they’re guaranteed to involve some level of hard work and difficulty and pain. Let’s carry each other through the weeks and years and not expect too much for ourselves. I think all this is a distillation in ourselves and lives of what is and is not important. Staying in touch with each other, Pandemic or no Pandemic, becomes increasingly vital as we age. Having so many material possessions that they begin to own us instead of the other way ‘round is not a recipe for a well-lived life, is it? And have you ever seen a U-Haul behind a hearse? Instead, may I recommend getting to know others and doing for others as among the best ways to a pleasant, happy, satisfying life? For instance, the clearly quite lovely, intelligent, and wellwritten lady whose essays appear opposite mine likely is someone with whom one would enjoy a glass of tea or adult beverage, preferably on a porch, though we aren’t from the same town, may not be the same age, and we may have more differences than similarities—that’s what makes life interesting. To end what I hope isn’t too much preachifying, let’s look at ourselves and lives and the way we live, and pay attention to the invisibilties and distill the important things to their essence, keeping what makes life better and more enjoyable, and discarding anything that works to the contrary. Now, I’ll step off my soapbox. You have my hearty best wishes.
Here are some non-rhetorical questions we may do well to ponder: have any of us had a life free of sorrow, pain, challenges, or upset? Are any of us inexperienced in the loss of love or a loved one? Do any of us lack regrets for what we have done or not done? Perhaps more importantly, is any one of us lacking in sin and willing to throw the first stone? thesouthernedgemagazine.com 39
PL AN YOUR NE X T
farm adventure AT
SCFARMFUN.ORG
South Carolina
AG RITOU RISM PA SSP O RT Pick up your passport to SC Farm Fun! View the list of participating farms at scagritourism.org.
Words by Yuka Greer / Recipes by Mayumi
F
Even though “fresh” is a great for dessert recipes, do
health benefits. If you’re like me, you love to visit
inspiration, dried fruits and nuts can combine to
resh from the garden or dried in the pantry,
fruit yields some amazingly delicious springtime
desserts, that also happen to have some great
a “you-pick” farm and leave with baskets full of
fruit. Nothing can beat the taste of fresh produce. Fresh fruits in general are packed with nutrition
and once you get them, you can simply wash them and pop them in your mouth. How easy is that?
not discount the ease and convenience of keeping a few dried fruits in your pantry. With a little
make some pretty amazing treats. Our healthyeating expert, Mayumi, shared two recipes: one
with fresh strawberries and one with dried golden
berries. Both are simple, tasty, and beautiful. Enjoy!
Fresh strawberries are also a staple ingredient for
some of the most popular desserts and the balance of sweetness and sourness make them the perfect springtime treat.
Disclaimer The content of this column is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. The Southern Edge Magazine (TSE) does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the magazine. Reliance on any information provided by TSE, TSE employees, other contributors appearing on print issues, website, social network, and other digital platforms is solely at your own risk.
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. YOU’VE HEARD of CHARLESTON. I’M HER YOUNGER SISTER. .
Flowertown Festival March 26-28 - There is a place where flowers bloom by the acre and the town celebrates with a festival. Sweet Tea Trail - Explore the Birthplace of Sweet Tea—where the tea plant first landed and tea was first commercially grown at the Pinehurst Tea Plantation. Historic Homes Walking Tour - Explore Summerville’s history on a quiet walk where no two homes are alike. This self-guided tour past Summervillle’s most hidden gems is available year round. visitsummerville.com
AT THE HEART of it ALL
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stimulates your dige stiv e sys te
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Words by Abbey Stevens
S
pring is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons, the
biggest being witnessing all of the new growth. After a few months of cold, cloudy days, new leaves starting to unravel feels like a new beginning, reminding us of all the beauty that this world holds. If you have a few square feet to spare in your vegetable garden
this year, I urge you to try out growing a cut flower garden. When
planned for properly, cut flower gardens boast big, beautiful blooms all summer long and can provide enough flowers for several homegrown bouquets, maybe even enough for your neighbors, too. Many annual flowers can be sown directly in the soil during
the spring, but if you want to get a head start on your blooms,
try growing seeds indoors and transferring outside as seedlings.
Remember that to create such beautiful blooms, these plants need full sun and consistent watering.
Sunflowers are a great classic cut flower for beginners, they’re easy to grow and come in varieties big and small, with colors ranging the spectrum. Try planting a few different varieties to see which ones do best in your area.
Zinnias are a classic because of their fuss-free nature and short seed-to-bloom time.
Coming in an impressive range of species and variations, these can easily be planted in succession to provide summer long color and variety.
Lavender is a perennial in our area and looks beautiful mixed into flower beds or arranged
into a hedge. Most commonly used dried, lavender is also a beautiful, fragrant addition to a bouquet, great for those that love a good bang for their buck.
Dahlias are the huge, wispy flowers that you see in the forefront of most Pinterest-worthy bouquets. A real showstopper, a few dahlias will go a long way. Varieties come in colors ranging from white to a deep burgundy, with blooms as big as 10” across.
Snapdragons provide vertical interest to bouquets and have the longest bloom time of most
common cut flower varieties. They come in a variety of colors, ranging from cream to orange and every salmon-y pink in between. 60
thesouthernedgemagazine.com
3
Wash your dishes as soon as you are done with them. My grandmother is a pro at having all of the dirty preparation dishes clean and put away before dinner is served. This makes the post-dinner clean up much easier and more likely to happen.
5
Choose your morning space. Beginning your day in a clean space clear of mess gives your family a fresh start each day, so find the space in your home that your family tends to congregate in the mornings, and make sure it’s tidy before bed!
REVOLUTIONARY WAR VISITOR CENTER CAMDEN, SC
PASSION. COURAGE. LIBERTY.
Discover how South Carolina’s quest for independence turned the tide of the American Revolution. With the first permanent exhibit of its kind, the Revolutionary War Visitor Center at Camden tells the powerful story of the Southern Campaign and the valiant patriots with their hearts set on liberty.
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SimplyRevolutionary.com
Editor’s Note: Charlie Drayton is a direct descendant of John
Drayton, who purchased the tract that became Drayton Hall in
1738. Charlie and his brother Frank owned Drayton Hall and in
the early 1970s upon the death of their aunt Charlotta Drayton, the sister of their father, they made the decision to sell Drayton Hall out of the family. For reasons he describes in this interview, he wanted
to see it preserved and not developed commercially, a decision which
his daughter Anne endorses. This interview reveals their personal
thoughts about Drayton Hall as a family home.
Foreword In my career with the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, I
have had the opportunity to visit many historic properties across the
country. Each historic site is unique. From the personalities involved in the sites’ history to the preservation methods and the educational programs offered, each tells its story in a distinctive way.
Drayton Hall, the iconic 18th-century estate in the South Carolina Lowcountry, is vital to our understanding of early American
history and is well-known for its preservation methods and diverse educational programming. George McDaniel, prominent in the preservation community, played an enormous role in the success of this renowned historic site. George was once the Director of
Drayton Hall, and now, in his retirement, is the author of a book
set to release in Fall 2021. While books about sites like Mt. Vernon or Monticello have been written solely by professional historians or curators, this book will present a range of viewpoints and contain
over 30 interviews from Drayton Hall descendants (both white and black), board members, donors, staff, and professionals in history, tourism, museum studies, and historic preservation.
The Southern Edge will be featuring a preview in the next four issues of some of the fascinating interviews found in Telling Drayton Hall’s Story: One Site, Different Viewpoints. I hope your interest is piqued
and you seek out the book in the Fall. Enjoy this preview of George’s interview with Charles Henry Drayton and Anne Drayton Nelson. The full interview will be available in the book.
Charlie Drayton and his daughter Anne Drayton Nelson just before they together rolled down the
mound. This was the last time either did so.
Aunt Charley was the epitome of a Southern lady. I never, ever heard Drayton Hall was absolutely wonderful when I was young. Since my
her say a mean word about anybody else. She loved to travel. She
I’d usually bring one or two friends. In those days, with no electricity,
by herself in my grandparents’ house at 25 East Battery, where I spent
cow horn to call us in for lunch, and as soon as lunch was over, we
with her. She let us do whatever we wanted to. She never approved
games, just having a lot of fun. I fished in the pond, catching small
fishing, and we did fish. But we mostly just roamed, collecting red
younger brother was almost five years younger, when I came out here,
travelled with friends to Europe, having a wonderful time. She lived
it was early to bed and early to rise. My father used to blow an old
nights from time to time. I’d spend maybe a week or two out here
were back out again — climbing trees, hunting, fishing, playing
of hunting, but we did hunt. She never felt the same way about
bream, and later, in the river.
bugs, ticks, gnats, and everything else. [Laughing]
One thing we loved was to start right at the top of the mound in front of the house and roll all the way down to the bottom, and
get up giddy as could be. The last time I did that was about three Thanksgivings ago, and I swore I would never do it again.
I’m not sure of the exact answer to why she never upgraded, but I think it was two things. One is that she never got married. Two
is that she owned it, remembered it, and knew it for what it was. I
never have known how much money she had — none of our business to begin with — but I think she had enough, because she travelled a
lot. I think she simply didn’t want the house changed, so it was never Before World War II started, we used to come almost every weekend
modernized with electricity or running water.
and shoot cans from the riverbank. At that time, where the two oak
trees are at the end of the allee from the house to the river, you could walk twenty, thirty feet beyond them to a riverbank. Now, the bank is gone. Why? Because after World War II, boat traffic became a
big hobby, and lots of boats sped by whose wakes gradually eroded
We brought the modern amenities with us. If we came out for a
stabilization with rock revetment took place, as you now see. Staff
everybody just had a good time. One of the “modern facilities” was
attention.
had a glorious time.
the bank. It wasn’t until the National Trust became owners that the
weekend, we brought a grill and cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, and
has posted “No Boat Wake” signs, and the public in general does pay
an outhouse to the east of the house, and that’s where we went. We
What happened was that my brother Frank and I decided that
neither one of us could buy out the other and that we could not
operate it as a growing concern between the two of us, so we decided we would have to dispose of it. Word got around, and there were
some offers to buy Drayton Hall; but when I heard what they wanted to do with it, we decided against selling it. Fortunately, the National
Trust of Historic Preservation had its annual meeting in Charleston
about 1972, and I happened to know one of the trustees. I asked him, and he said, “Absolutely, they’d be interested.”
Between the National Trust, Historic Charleston Foundation, the
State of South Carolina, and the Drayton family, we decided to do
it. One of my comments was, “I wanted to live for quite some time, because I felt that having broken seven generations of ownership, I
would not be welcomed upstairs.” I know how much generations of Draytons have loved this place. I know they know that my brother
and I loved it just as much, so I’m hoping they will have forgiven me by now, because while not brilliant, it was the move that had to be
made at that time. We’ve been blessed that the National Trust has it and has made us feel like we’re still a part of it.
I never knew her as Charlotta; she was “Aunt Charley.” She was an interesting person, very well read and very well-travelled. She had a studious, inquisitive mind. She lived alone all the time I knew her.
During the summers, she’d go to Flat Rock, NC, where our family had a house, and attend St. John’s in the Wilderness Episcopal Church, where she’s buried. She had single female friends, like
spinsters or widows, who would stay with her when she came out to
Drayton Hall or when she travelled. She did enjoy art. After she died, we found in the attic artwork she had done. Apparently, she had
taken an art course by correspondence and would do an assignment,
mail it in, get critiqued, then make adjustments, and send it in again. She did love dogs, one of whom, Nipper, she measured on the same place where the human beings were measured. In fact, she buried Nipper out here at Drayton Hall.
I was too young to have a conversation about preservation with
her, but her basic attitude toward preservation was to keep it as it
is. Keep it functioning without altering. I believe her concept was, “If I can pass it on the way I inherited it, then I have fulfilled my
responsibility. I’ve done my duty.” She may have elaborated and said, It was exciting. Aunt Charley used to come in the spring and fall
for six weeks max. I don’t remember staying out here with my sister
“This was good enough for my parents, and it’s good enough for me, so it’s good enough to pass on.”
or my brother, so I guess Aunt Charley could only take one of us
at a time. When I stayed, it was very exciting to have an outhouse
that you used during the day. Absolutely beautiful ewers, bowls, and
chamber pots in each of the bedrooms. The chamber pots lived under the bed and were used at night.
The live oak tree was much bigger when I was younger, bigger than
I was never much for “camping out,” and being at Drayton Hall was
many trees seen today. Huge limbs have been removed, and it was
was concerned. We really didn’t lack for anything. We had access to
the ground, with one that was U-shaped. We used to straddle that
had an electrical extension cord line that ran to Drayton Hall’s
branches to get into the center of the tree, which was so big that we
shop (now used for museum exhibits) and which used to be close to
Catherine and I would play “Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel,” and collect nuts
that had eggs and milk and such. She had a portable kerosene burner
built.
At four o’clock in the afternoon, she moved it into the front room
Another thing about that tree I’ve always loved is the Spanish moss.
grandfather had died), fired it up, and on went the teapot, and we’d
leaves and have this open space around the base of the tree. You could
somewhat like “camping in.” That’s the ideal way to camp as far as I
thicker at the top, while the branches came all the way down to
water from the hand pump outside the basement door. Aunt Charley
and bounce up and down like riding a horse. We’d shimmy up the
basement from Tom’s cabin, which the Trust converted into a gift
could lie down in it. When we were pre-teenagers, my second cousin
the house. Into that cord she plugged the refrigerator in the basement
and little snacks and take them up into our tree “house,” which nature
with one eye and a handle, so she could move it from room to room. on the northwest side (the same room where my paternal great
The entire tree was like a huge tent, because you could come inside its
have a cup of tea.
play tag or whatever you wanted down there. Because the limbs came
At lunchtime, the same kerosene burner was fired up, a pot went
down, it didn’t have this open view that it does today.
on the eye, and eggs were dropped in water from the hand pump,
Coming out on Sundays after church, we never knew who was
the refrigerator. There was no cooking. I think Aunt Charley
hamburgers or hot dogs on the grill. Anybody could bring relations,
adventuresome to be outside. We’d climb the live oak, explore the
tramp through the woods, go out to the barn, and climb through
being bothered by chiggers, gnats, or mosquitoes, but maybe as a
remember going out in the pond, but I guess the boys did. The girls
don’t remember candles, but I guess we used them. For supper, I
river.
so we’d have hardboiled eggs sliced on bread with mayonnaise from
coming. It was an open invitation for friends or family, and we’d cook
introduced me to the easy way of living, and it was just fun. It was
in-laws, and “outlaws.” Football was played, and children used to
barn, and walk around the woods. I don’t have any recollection of
the trees. I don’t really remember doing anything in a boat. I don’t
child, you just take it as part of what comes with the farm. At night, I
played “squirrel tree,” ran through the gardens, or went down to the
guess we had boiled eggs, but I don’t remember, and when it got
dark, we must have gone to bed.
thesouthernedgemagazine.com 69
What’s special are the trees. When I left South Carolina and moved
I remember being eternally grateful to my father and his brother for
trees. The live oak trees aren’t the same in Virginia, and Spanish moss
Grateful because it was a decision made by your head, not your heart.
to Virginia, yes, I missed family, but maybe even more, I missed the doesn’t grow where I live. I miss the trees the most.
making the decision to turn Drayton Hall over to the National Trust. If it had come down another generation, there would have been five
of us to agree on what was to be done, and I don’t think you could get five people to agree. I might have been the worst of them all, in that I tend to live by my heart and not my head.
I think it was the right decision, and I will always appreciate that the very difficult decision was not laid on my shoulders. Absolutely, it
was the right decision. The house is where it needs to be. It is being Since Richmond Bowens was working in Chicago when I was
growing up, I didn’t know him until he became the gatekeeper. I
just know that Daddy always spoke so fondly of him. Whenever
Richmond saw us, he treated us as if we were the children of his dear old friend. When Richmond was sick, I remember Daddy taking us to see him and his wife Velma. They had a very good relationship.
preserved. It is being cared for. No amount of money could be poured into this house and save it the way it has been, and have it open to
the public, and shared. I believe that Drayton Hall and the history it entails is much larger than that of a single family and definitely
needs to be available to all Charlestonians, South Carolinians, and Americans. Its history belongs to all of us.
It was Richmond who approached Daddy after the Trust owned
Drayton Hall and said, “I want to be buried at Drayton Hall. Can you make that happen?” Daddy did. Later, both you, George, and Daddy were asked to speak at his funeral service.
Charlie Drayton and his daughter Anne Drayton
Historic photo of Richmond Bowens
Nelson at the Drayton family cemetery at Drayton
Hall with Ashley River in the background.
Photo by Ron Blunt
Words by W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
AS A BOY GROWING UP in the thriving northwest corner of South Carolina, State Senator Thomas Cleveland Alexander always knew he would one day go into business – not politics necessarily – but the simple joy of daily industry. “I literally wanted to be a businessman when I grew up,” says Alexander. “My parents and the other working adults I was always around sort of instilled in me that love of hard work; of creativity and competition, and a keen interest in finance.” That lifelong love of business easily transitioned into Alexander’s equal love of service in the S.C. General Assembly since first being elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in 1986, followed by a seat in the S.C. Senate in 1994. Even his current legislative committee assignments are all about business: Banking and Insurance; Ethics; Finance; Interstate Cooperation; Labor, Commerce and Industry (of which he serves as chairman); and Medical Affairs. “Everything in the state Senate is done by seniority,” says Alexander. “So as the opportunities to serve on these committees became available I chose to serve on them. And yes, there are a lot of parallels and commonality between the various committees. When we look at Medical Affairs, for instance, a lot of the professions within the broader profession of medicine are operated as businesses.” Alexander says he heartily embraces all of his committee assignments, always has, and during an interview in early Jan. 2021, he was quick to point to the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee as being a key entity in terms of protecting and advancing the Palmetto State’s thriving economic development. “And it is thriving,” he says, despite the situational obstacles – the COVID pandemic, increasing political division, and economic downturns elsewhere in the world that now seem so ever-present. “Finance is another important committee that I particularly enjoy because one of our charges each-and-every year, regardless of what else we deal with, is providing a budget for the citizens of the state of South Carolina,” he adds. Alexander, who today owns Alexander's Office Supply which serves businesses across the Upstate and beyond, is one of five children born to the late Virginia Cleveland (hence his middle name) and Claude N. Alexander.
A Clemson graduate, husband, father of three children and grandfather to 13; Alexander began his political career in 1982 when – like his father – he was elected to the Walhalla City Council. In 1985 he became Mayor Pro Tempore. A year later he was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives. As a boy, Alexander played recreation (youth league) football. He also attended Clemson football and basketball games with his father, and he went to Sunday school and church where he participated in Walhalla Presbyterian Church’s various youth programs. It was also at Walhalla Presbyterian where, as an adult leader, Alexander was ordained a deacon and later an elder. “Going to church and having that fellowship with believers has always played such a vital role in my life,” says Alexander. “It’s been for me like an extended family or a second family. I’m so grateful to the Lord for all things. My faith is so important to me. I try to be a servant of the Lord, and I take great comfort in knowing that the Lord is in control of all things.” At church, Alexander has taught Sunday School and served as Sunday School superintendent. Beyond church, work, and the Senate, he has served on numerous boards including the Walhalla Chamber of Commerce, the Walhalla Downtown Association, and Carolina Office Products Association. He currently serves on the board of the Blue Ridge Bank. He also served terms as president of both the Walhalla Lions Club (where he was once named Lion of the Year) and the Walhalla Sertoma Club. “It all has to do with how we best serve others and build our communities,” says Alexander. Service and building are altruistically necessary to be sure, but they are also a means to an end. As Alexander explains, when an individual strives to lift another up, that individual in their seemingly small way is “strengthening the fabric of their, your, and our communities in which we all live,” enabling those communities to thrive and to weather any and all unforeseen storms. And storms are inevitable. “Still while there always will be storms and challenges, I’m encouraged,” he says. “I think as a state we were well-placed prior to the pandemic. Our economy was going great. There was unprecedented low unemployment. Diversified industries. Strong sectors. Strong tourism. Strong agricultural.” As to current storms, economic and otherwise, Alexander says, “We’ll weather them all, and we’ll come out better on the other side. Remember, we’ve had economic turbulence before: I’m thinking now about 2001 after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, then the years 2008 and 2012. Since I’ve been in the General Assembly we’ve had several economic downturns, but we’ve learned and grown stronger after the fact. This speaks to the resiliency of our citizens.”
He adds, “Our citizens love this state and our communities. They’re involved in their communities. They’re dedicated. They have a great work ethic. The business and manufacturing communities recognize this, and this is why companies locate, relocate and make major expansions here. The friendly business climate here cannot be overstated.” Nor can the fact that South Carolina is a military friendly state. “I think that goes back to the beginnings of our history in this state since before the American Revolution,” says Alexander. “Our citizens are extremely patriotic. We are proud of our men and women in uniform, and we love our military veterans.” Alexander also points to the fact that so many retired military veterans – after having passed through or been stationed at one or more of our state’s military bases – choose to retire in South Carolina for all of the aforementioned reasons. “They are a tremendous resource as well from a business and industry standpoint, because so many of these military retirees and veterans bring with them a unique work ethic and industry expertise that can transfer into the civilian private sector,” he says. “We all benefit from that.” What about the immediate future of the Palmetto State and the things Alexander sees as priority challenges going forward? At the top of the list is broadband deployment statewide. According to an article, ‘Broadband: South Carolina's Digital Divide’ (Nov. 16, 2020), published by SCETV, "despite the drastic technological advances of the Information Age, 19-million people throughout [the U.S.] still lack access to the Federal Communication Commission’s standard for reliable Internet. In South Carolina, 344,000 people do not have access to this standard, and 171,000 people do not have access to a wired connection at all. … Without quality internet; education, healthcare, and employment become much more difficult to obtain." Broadband is critical, now more so than ever in the wake of the pandemic with increased in-home online schooling. Alexander says broadband deployment has become part of our critical infrastructure. “It’s a necessity today like electricity, clean water, that kind of thing,” he says. “We were already pushing for this prior to the pandemic, but the pandemic revealed just how critical online services are and how so many are still without. We need to have this fully deployed statewide within the next three years or sooner.” He adds, “Legislation in 2020 really enabled broadband developers to expedite the work they need to do in order to ensure that we have reliable internet service in every household across this state. We still have a lot of work to do on this, but I’m encouraged by the direction we’ve taken on this.”
“The Floodwater Commission was overdue,” he says. “But the Governor couldn’t have selected a better chairman and leader for the commission and the work that’s being done in the way that he [Mullikin] can galvanize and build partnerships.” Building partnerships is also that which Alexander says, “reflects the uniqueness and the way we are so blessed here in South Carolina. We bring people together. We unite others. We focus on the absolute goodness of people. This is not a throwaway feel-good statement. Goodness in people is a substantive objective fact.” Speaking of goodness, Mullikin says “goodness” in the pure sense is one of Alexander’s defining qualities. “I think most people see Thomas as a legislator whose strong proeconomic development positions and his striving to generate and bring new business and industry to our state are the things that define him: And they do,” says Mullikin. “But what best, perhaps more-fully describes Thomas is his innate goodness, his sincere love for and appreciation of others which we see in the often-unsung things he does for people. His unheralded constituent services. His behind the scenes kindnesses toward others that he always does – and has for years – without any expectation of reciprocal gain. It’s really never about him. That and his sense of ethics. His integrity is simply unassailable, which in the current political climate is a breath of fresh air.” So it all comes back to service and the fuel that drives that service. For Sen. Thomas Alexander that fuel is simply caring.
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- with the Vitali brothers as they receive Senate commendations
Alexander says that new legislation to be advanced, like fullstatewide broadband development and ideas set forward like the S.C. Floodwater Commission, are solutions to challenges that are unique to the Palmetto State. The challenges themselves certainly aren’t unique. But the solutions introduced and the ongoing inroads made toward achieving those solutions are.
- with Tom Mullikin, S.C. Floodwater Commission Chairman
“This commission, unique to the Palmetto State and chaired by my good friend of 33 years, retired Maj. Gen. Tom Mullikin, is nothing short of visionary,” says Alexander. “It is a means by which both Tom and the Governor have gathered the best and the brightest – engineers, business and military leaders and other thought-leaders – from across our state to form this unique body of 10 specially tasked committees (what the Commission refers to as task forces) which in their planning and brainstorming may well reveal to us previously unimagined ways to mitigate disastrous flooding to our state going forward.”
- with SC7 Expedition team members
He points to Gov. Henry McMaster’s 2018 establishment of the Birds eye view ofCommission the Mill in the 1950s. several disastrous flood S.C. Floodwater following events stemming from storms since 2015.
Explore Our Kind of islands
Stephen L. Hayes, Jr., was recently announced the 2020 winner of the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art by The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina. A North Carolina-based artist, Hayes makes works—woodcuts, sculptures, installations small and large—from found materials that draw on social and economic themes ingrained in the history of the U.S. and African Americans. “Amidst the challenges of 2020, Society 1858 and the Gibbes are thrilled to be able to continue celebrating the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art,” says Angela Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. “We are also excited to announce Stephen as this year’s winner. His creations contribute to the understanding of the South and demonstrate a powerful vision from an artist on the forefront of contemporary southern art.” Stephen L. Hayes Jr. grew up in Durham with his older brother, Spence, and his mother, Lender, who were pivotal in shaping and sparking his creative approach. When Hayes was in first grade, he broke a remote-control car. His brother took it apart and attached the motor to a battery, bringing it back to life. Amazed, Hayes began breaking all kinds of things to see how they worked and what he could create with the pieces. By second grade, his mother had given him a real workbench; she and Hayes’ brother would also bring home abandoned equipment for tinkering. Working with his hands took many forms and by high school, he learned to crochet. Hayes went to North Carolina Central University, aiming to transfer to North Carolina State University to study mechanical engineering. Instead, through a friend, he discovered graphic design. His new major led to a ceramics course, where his enthusiasm and skill allowed him as much time as he wanted on the wheel. He threw enough pots to develop a strong portfolio, leading to a residency at the acclaimed New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Hayes earned a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. His thesis exhibition, "Cash Crop," has been traveling and exhibiting for nearly a decade. In his work, Hayes uses three symbols: a pawn, a corn, and a horse to explore America’s use (or misuse) of black bodies, black minds, and black labor. Artists, he believes, are as much translators as they are creators. He started teaching at the college level in 2011; currently, he is a professor of sculpture at Duke University.
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