Joseph Vaughn Day calls Furman community to ‘be part of the journey’

Remarks by Furman President Elizabeth Davis >>
Remarks by Student Diversity Council President Abijah Leamon ’24 >>

Plans for the traditional Walk of Honor from Daniel Chapel across Furman Mall to the steps of the James B. Duke Library in the early afternoon of Jan. 26, 2024, had to change due to the threat of gloomy weather overhead.

Marcus Tate ’12, a relative of Joseph Vaughn, lights a candle in honor of Vaughn during the Joseph Vaughn Day Commemoration at Daniel Chapel on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

But even though the annual commemoration of Joseph Vaughn Day was relocated indoors to Daniel Chapel, the legacy of Joseph Allen Vaughn ’68, Furman’s first Black undergraduate student, “shines a light no weather could dampen,” said Furman President Elizabeth Davis.

The light became literal in the chapel during a moment of silence, as Marcus Tate ’12, a member of the Vaughn family, lit a memorial candle for his cousin.

Joseph Vaughn Day, which arose from the “Seeking Abraham” report by Furman’s Task Force on Slavery and Justice, celebrates the anniversary of Vaughn’s enrollment on Jan. 29, 1965. Weather permitting, the ceremony traditionally takes place at Joseph Vaughn Plaza, which was completed in April 2021 and features a statue recreating a photo of Vaughn climbing the library steps in 1965.

Vaughn’s legacy compels the Furman community to “stand tall and defiant” against the forces in society that are attempting to deny historical truth and dismiss the language of diversity, equity and inclusion as “woke,” Teresa Cosby, a professor of politics and international affairs and chair of Furman’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, told the hundreds in attendance in Daniel Chapel. 

The phrase “stay woke” originated decades ago as a warning among Black people against the dangers of white racism, Cosby explained.

“They cannot have this word,” she said.

‘Part of the journey’

This year’s observance introduced a new Joseph Vaughn Day tradition: the awarding of the first Idella Goodson Glenn Outstanding Black Alumni Award. The award “honors exceptional individuals who have demonstrated remarkable achievements and exemplary leadership while making significant contributions to their fields and communities,” said Adrienne Johnson ’10, an attorney, educator and advocate in Decatur, Georgia, and vice president of the Black Alumni Council. 

Idella Glenn ’84 wipes away a tear while speaking during the Joseph Vaughn Day Commemoration at Daniel Chapel on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Johnson praised her former mentor Glenn, a 1984 graduate of Furman who worked at the school for 18 years as director of multicultural affairs, assistant vice president for student development and director of diversity and inclusion, as “a true champion of campus belonging.”

Glenn, now the vice president for equity, inclusion and community impact at the University of Southern Maine, was on hand to present the award named in her honor to Erica Ramsey ’07, the first president of the Black Alumni Council.

“Talk about full circle,” said Glenn, her voice full of emotion. “Perhaps we’re getting closer to the day that Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned when the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveholders could sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

“I am standing here because I have passion,” said Ramsey after embracing Glenn and receiving the award. “Everyone here has the same opportunity if you have passion. You, too, can be a part of the journey.”

As the first recipient of Furman’s first award honoring distinguished Black alumni, Johnson, owner of a public relations firm in Greenville, South Carolina, expressed the hope that there soon would be “so many people in line that they’ll have to make another.”

‘Someday we’ll all be free’

Abijah Leamon ’24, the president of Furman’s Student Diversity Council and a peer mentor in the Pathways Program, concluded the ceremony with a call to action.

Abijah Leamon ’24 speaks during the Joseph Vaughn Day Commemoration at Daniel Chapel on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

“I call you all to continue to fight for what is right, educate yourself on what you aren’t familiar with, and advocate for others even when it gets challenging,” said Leamon, a double major in politics and international affairs and Africana studies. “I challenge you to use Joseph Vaughn’s legacy to motivate you and guide you in deciding how you will commit to your community. Change will not come if we stop moving.”

Before the audience filed out of Daniel Chapel under brightened afternoon skies, Leamon closed by reciting the final verse of a soul classic recorded by Donny Hathaway just a few years after Joseph Vaughn graduated from Furman:

“Keep on walking tall, hold your head up high … Sing your greatest song, and you’ll keep going on. Take it from me – someday we’ll all be free.”