“Seeds of Change” Program Hosted by Hagood Mill Historic Site

The Hagood Mill Foundation in Pickens will present a free virtual event exploring the role of the arts in community and the importance of civil dialogue. The “Seeds of Change” event will occur on Friday, August 14 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. and will include a broad range of guest speakers and a panel discussion with local leaders and descendants of Hagood slave owners and slaves. SC Humanities supported this program with a Mini Grant.

​The event was intended to stream live on the Hagood Mill official Facebook page @HagoodMillHistoricSite. However, internet issues caused the event to not be available live. It is now available in its entirety on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ya4uxlC8u8.

The event schedule is as follows:

Welcome Ceremony Billy Crawford, (Director of Hagood Mill); Pledge & Prayer-Fletcher Perry (Mayor of Pickens), Song-by Leon and Marshall James (SC Heritage Award Winners)

Essay Readings about Sense of PlaceExcerpts from essays/articles by Mable Clark (chef and advocate for Soapstone Church), Dennis Chastain (local historian and outdoor enthusiast), and Dot Jackson (author, journalist, now deceased); Read by Katie Mann

Speakers

1.  Susan Duplessis/Dr. Laura Marcus Green (SC Arts Commission/Art of Community) Importance of Arts and Culture in Building Community

2. Bob Reeder (National Program Director of Rural LISC-Local Initiatives Support Corporation) On Being Neighborly

3. Dr. Tom Cloer (Professor Emeritus Furman Univ) From a Historian’s Perspective

4. Dr. Aaron Mair (Descendant of Hagood slave) One South, One America

Panel Discussion Local leaders from white and black populations in our area/state.

1. Dr. Kathy McKenzie-Mitiku (Descendant of Hagood slave)

2. Gary Hagood Brightwell (Descendant of Hagood slave owner)

3. Davey Hiott (State Representative)

4. Ken Roper (Pickens County Administrator)

5. Fletcher Perry (Mayor of Pickens)

Questions/concerns from the virtual audience to be submitted prior to event and during event in comments to livestream.

Closing/Song

Joshua Johnson will be the moderator for the panel discussion and the Q&A session, in addition to doing the sound.  Roy Costner IV and his company Take Part will be the livestream director and videographer.  The Hagood Mill Foundation is deeply grateful for their contributions to this special event.  The event will be emceed by Billy Crawford, Director of the Hagood Mill Historic Site; Katie Mann, the Assistant Director; and Betty McDaniel, the Vice Chair of the Hagood Mill Foundation. 

Hagood Mill features an 1845 gristmill, restored log cabins, blacksmith shop, cotton gin, moonshine still, nature trails, and a gift shop featuring local crafters, musicians and authors! The historic site hosts monthly musical performances, classes and other special events. Learn more: https://www.hagoodmillfoundation.org/.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.