Resources
Knox County Black History Digital Archives
This is a collection of digitized photographs, documents, and news articles that reflect a range of historical and cultural experiences of the local Black residents of Knox County, Ohio. The archives are generously hosted and maintained by Kenyon College.
This virtual map and tour of Mt. Vernon, Ohio highlight locations around the town that have historical significance to African American residents. Short descriptions and narratives are provided explaining the local Black community’s connection to these sites.
Wayman Chapel AME Church video of historic marker ceremony and A History of Wayman Chapel AME documentary film
The State of Ohio approved the erection of an official historic marker recognizing the central role of Knox County’s first Black church, the Wayman Chapel AME Church. The project was undertaken by the Diversity in the Heartland class which researched the church and its place in the larger Mt. Vernon and Knox County African American community. Kenyon College American Studies students assisted in completing the application materials and worked on the documentary. A ceremony was held in the fall of 2023 to dedicate the marker and a “rough-cut” of the documentary film about the church debuted at the ceremony. Special thanks to Professor Jon Tazewell and his team at the Kenyon Film Department.
Digital Essays
Diverse Voices from Kenyon’s Foundings, Founder’s Day Address 2021
The Talk (3:49 minute YouTube video)
Select Past Media Coverage and Appearances
Ohioana Book Festival Preview Podcast, April 2023, Ohio Center for the Book, Cleveland Public Library
https://ohiocenterforthebook.org/podcast/ohioana-book-festival-preview/
Kenyon Alumni Magazine, Vol. 44.2 Fall 2022, “Finding the Fabric of a Community: Professor Ric Sheffield’s new memoir reaches across four generations of his family, “ Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio
https://bulletin.kenyon.edu/article/finding-the-fabric-of-a-community/
The Post; McKenna Christy, Conference seeks to educate on Black Life in the Ohio Valley; Friday, September 8, 2022, page
Kenyon Collegian; Theresa Carr, Mount Calvary Baptist Church Receives Historic Marker; Thursday, October 21, 2021, page 2;
https://digital.kenyon.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3562&context=collegian
WOSU 89.7 NPR News; Debbie Holmes; February 19, 2020; print and audio; Kenyon Professor Reveals Hidden History of African Americans in Rural Ohio