Call My Name Resistance Tour

This tour explores instances of African American resistance against oppression both on an off of Clemson campus. Contrary to popular belief, resistance didn't start in the 1960s with the Civil Rights Movement. Resistance started many years beforehand- from enslaved African Americans, to freedmen, to young people challenging discriminatory systems. This tour is dedicated to those brave men and women who challenged systems of discrimination and paved the way for so many today.

Call My Name Resistance Tour: Issey Calhoun

On the night of April 1, 1843, Issey Calhoun had just entered William, the son of John C. and Floride Calhoun, upstairs bedroom. It was her task to warm his bed, using hot coals. She did this- and much more. As she warmed his bed, it…

Call My Name Resistance Tour: Sikes Sit-In

On April 13, 2016 the Sikes Sit-In began when students flooded the halls, outraged about what had happened. And what had happened was that bananas were hung on the "African Americans at Fort Hill" banner, which is located just…

Call My Name Resistance Tour: Cato Sherman

Sometime after Christmas in 1887, fourteen-year-old Lula Sherman was looking after her little sister. Her parents weren’t home. There was a knock at the door. As Lula opened the door, she was greeted by a white man, Manse Waldrop, who asked Lula…

Call My Name Resistance Tour: Old Main

Built by mostly African American convicted laborers in the 1890s, Old Mainl is one of the oldest buildings on the Clemson University campus. This also happens to be a site where instances of resistance have occurred. Resistance actually started in…

Call My Name Resistance Tour: A March for Change

On Saturday, June 13, 2020, thousands of members of the Clemson community gathered together on Bowman Field to demand racial equality. During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, protestors practiced wore face masks while dressed in black and carried…

Changing History at Clemson: Harvey Gantt's Story

Harvey B. Gantt, born on January 14, 1943, grew up in Charleston during a time where racial segregation was still in full force. He attended National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meetings with his father as a child, and…