Summer 2021 Tapestry

Our Summer 2021 issue of Tapestry celebrates the growth of the Edwards College over the past two decades. In honor of our official anniversary on Sept. 21, 2021, we’ve created an annotated time line highlighting the people, places, and events that have shaped and continue to define the college. We hope your engagement with this issue brings you back and prompts you to become involved in our future.

Summer 2021 Tapestry

The Origin Story

Tapestry feature article “We are Edwards” brings the reader back to the evening of Sept. 21, 2001, when a crowd gathered on Prince Lawn to dedicate and celebrate the new college. Three generations of the Edwards family were present, in addition to Ron Ingle, then-president of CCU; Lynne Franken, the first dean of the Edwards College; and representatives from around the state. This article draws a direct line from the inspiration of that first evening and the subsequent growth that continues within the Edwards College.

Focused on Gullah

Research into Gullah Geechee culture predates the establishment of the Edwards College, and it began with iconic CCU history professor Charles Joyner. “A Celebration of Gullah Geechee Scholarship” shows how Joyner’s work influenced other scholars, both at CCU and around the globe, and resulted in the creation of the Charles Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies in 2016. The ongoing work of Edwards College faculty, students, and guest scholars through the Joyner Institute has yielded an annual conference, an academic minor program, and a nationwide reputation of CCU as a center of Gullah Geechee scholarship.

International Insights

Dean Claudia Bornholdt has ushered in a renewed emphasis on global perspectives within the Edwards College, even creating a new tagline to foreground the concept. “Learn Local, Go Global” is both the new college motto as well as the title of a Tapestry article that highlights the ways Edwards students are impacting, and being impacted by, both the local community and the global stage.