Born enslaved, he signed a church deed at 37. At 37, his great-great-granddaughter is carrying on his work.
In 1875, Rev. Morris Stewart, born enslaved in 1838, signed the deed for one acre of land in Reevesville, South Carolina, as chairman of the board of trustees of a new Methodist Episcopal church. He was 37. His great-great-granddaughter, Shakori Edwards of St. George, is 37 now, and she is telling the story of five generations of her family.
For generations, Edwards’ family taught and ministered in the community. Her mother, the late Gwendolyn Leona Stewart Edwards, was an educator for more than 40 years and is buried at the church, beside Rev. Morris Stewart and generations of their family. The old church building stood boarded up for years until it burned a few years ago, beside those graves.
“That fire is what’s burning in me now,” Edwards said.
Edwards knows what it means to start over. After stepping away from the University of South Carolina Aiken to raise her son, she reached a day when her bank account read $20.94, her car had been totaled and her father’s truck had broken down on the interstate.
“Nobody was coming to save me, so I saved myself,” Edwards said. “One decision at a time.”
With no degree beyond a high school computer technology certificate from the Dorchester Career and Technology Center, she taught herself to build websites and apps and founded Business Key Solutions. She also founded Youngpreneur Academy, a nonprofit that teaches young people to start businesses. Starting in 2027, the Academy will offer youth programs at New Grace United Methodist Church in St. George, where the congregation of Rev. Morris Stewart’s church gathers today.
“My mother’s words were, ‘May the work I’ve done speak for me,'” Edwards said. “I refuse to let her work, or his, end with them.”
Edwards tells the full story in her memoir, “From $20 to a Porsche: A Real World Story” (Shakori & Co., 207 pages), dedicated to her mother and available now in paperback ($18.99), hardcover ($28.99) and ebook ($9.99). Signed copies, including a First Edition of 100 numbered hardcovers, are available at from20toaporsche.com. She also released “I Chose Me,” a song she wrote about the same journey.
Edwards is available for phone and email interviews. A copy of the 1875 deed is available on request. Full story and media kit: iamshakori.com/press.
Media contact: Shakori Edwards, [email protected]
