One Ohio native spoke this afternoon at Rhodes State College on his ties to a prominent piece of history, right here in western Ohio. As a way to honor Black History Month, the college's "Diversity, Action, Training and Experience Committee" invited 22-year-old Connor Keiser to speak at their Brown Bag lecture series.
Keiser's fifth great-grandfather is James Clemens, a freed slave from Virginia. Clemens came to Ohio and founded Longtown, one of Ohio's earliest black settlements. There he started a school, donated land for the Wesleyan church and established a cemetery for the community. The Clemens family were also conductors in the Underground Railroad.Â
"He built a community on equality, on love, and on acceptance of all people, and so I think it's definitely noteworthy of celebration," Keiser said.
He says it's something he is proud of and he encourages students to look into their family history as well.
