Photo Credit: Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club in 1949 (provided by the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture)
Residents in the South Carolina Lowcountry will celebrate the unveiling of the United States Postal Services newest postage stamp, which features the late Phillis Wheatley, a formerly enslaved poet of the American Revolution who was the first African American author of a published book of poetry.
The event will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, at the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture (125 Bull St.) on the College of Charleston’s downtown campus. The event is free and open to the public. The event will also be streamed on the Avery Digital Classroom.
In addition to the Avery Research Center event at the College of Charleston, South Carolina entities with connections to Phillis Wheatley will celebrate at two other virtual press conferences at the following locations:
- Richland Library Wheatley, 931 Woodrow St., Columbia, S.C. 29205
- Phillis Wheatley Community Center, 335 Greenacre Rd., Greenville, S.C. 29607
The Avery Research Center’s ties with Wheatley were established in 1916 when the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club was formed under the direction of Jeannette Cox, wife of Avery Normal Institute principal Benjamin Cox. The club, consisting of 19 women, met and discussed the works of Wheatley, W.E.B. DuBois, Carter G. Woodson and others. Known as one of the first Black women’s clubs in Charleston, it was a space for discussions on social issues and provided community service opportunities throughout Charleston. And now, 110 years later, the club is still active and continues to serve Jenkins Youth and Family Village (formerly Jenkins Orphanage), the Lowcountry Food Bank and Charleston Development Academy.
“We are honored to continue and preserve the legacy established by our charter members by providing love, care and concern for our community while emulating Ms. Wheatley’s remarkable cultural and civic-minded spirit on which the club was founded,” says club member Tammy McCottry, whose aunt, the late Cynthia McCottry-Smith was one of the longest serving members in the club when she passed away on Jan. 15, 2025. Currently, DeLaris Risher is the oldest serving member and serves as the club’s president.
The celebration will include citations from the city, county and statehouse presented by Rep. Courtney Waters (S.C. House 113).
Tamara Butler, executive director of the Avery Research Center, says Wheatley’s work had tremendous influence on the Lowcountry.
“As the stewards of the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club Papers, the Avery Research Center team is excited to see Ms. Wheatley’s life honored at the federal level,” says Butler, noting that the Avery’s research room is named after the social club. “Guests are welcomed by a 1950 and 2004 photograph of club members. Inside the reading room, a painting of Ms. Wheatley penning poetry reminds students, staff and visiting researchers of the power of study and introspection – all while inviting them to think creatively and critically with the archival materials they are viewing.”
This event is a part of the Avery Research Center’s 160th anniversary celebration. Founded in 1865 as the Avery Normal Institute, this community hub advocated for Charleston’s African American community and trained Black Charlestonians for professional careers and leadership roles. Although the institute closed its doors in 1954, its graduates preserved the legacy of their alma mater by establishing the Avery Institute of Afro-American History & Culture (a 501c3 organization that supports that Avery Research Center).
For the last 30 years, the Avery Research Center has collected art and archival materials that document the history, traditions and legacies of African Americans and their influence on American society and culture, as well as their place within the American narrative.
RELATED: Read all about the Avery Research Center in College of Charleston Magazine.