Kevin Cherry's book, The Virtue of Cain: From Slave to Senator (2021, Rocky Pond Press) focuses on the short but extraordinary life of Reconstruction era Senator Lawrence Cain of Edgefield, South Carolina. He was considered an honorable and virtuous man and helped shape South Carolina politics between 1865 and 1877 as one of the leaders of the Radical Republican movement. He rose above numerous obstacles to go from slave to state senator
The facts of his life had been forgotten by his descendants, like much of African American history during Reconstruction. But they were re-discovered Lawrence Cain's great great-grandson, Kevin M. Cherry, with the help of family, genealogy research, archived papers and genetic DNA results. Cherry is joined in conversation with Walter Edgar and Dr. Vernon Burton, professor emeritus of history at Clemson University, recounting Lawrence Cain’s remarkable life and the social and political upheaval of Reconstruction in South Carolina.
Note: the Friday broadcast of the Journal on our News & Music stations is being pre-empted this week for Spoleto Chamber Music. Our Friday broadcasts resume next week.
- Originally broadcast 04/16/21 -
News and Music Stations: Sat, Jun 19, 7 am
News & Talk Stations: Friday, Jun 11, at 12 pm; Sun, Jun 20, 4 pm
