News at St. Catherine's
A Message of Hope
Upper School and Middle School students learned important lessons from Wallis Wickham Raemer '66 and her cousin Reggie Harris.
It is a story of struggle, reconciliation and hope.
Wallis Wickham Raemer '66 and her cousin Reggie Harris spoke to Middle Schoolers this afternoon. They spoke to the Upper School on Friday. Their shared story is very unique and it is one that started during the Civil War.
Confederate General Williams Carter Wickham of Hanover fathered six children with an enslaved black woman named Bibanna Hewlett and, later, four children with his white wife, Lucy Penn Taylor.
He is the great, great grandfather of both Raemer and Harris.
Both told their own stories and how they connected, including a meeting in Monroe Park at the foot of the statue of their ancestor, a statue that was toppled over the summer.
"I apologized to Reggie for the privilege my family enjoyed at the expense of his family," said Raemer, who is on the School's Ellett Board.
Harris was rendered speechless.
It was an important moment of reconciliation for both of them. The two have shared their story with the New York Times and on CNN.
Harris, who is a singer/songwriter, closed the chapel with his song "Hickory Hill," the name of the plantation in Hanover where their connection began so long ago.
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Wallis Wickham Raemer '66 and her cousin Reggie Harris spoke to Middle Schoolers this afternoon. They spoke to the Upper School on Friday. Their shared story is very unique and it is one that started during the Civil War.
Confederate General Williams Carter Wickham of Hanover fathered six children with an enslaved black woman named Bibanna Hewlett and, later, four children with his white wife, Lucy Penn Taylor.
He is the great, great grandfather of both Raemer and Harris.
Both told their own stories and how they connected, including a meeting in Monroe Park at the foot of the statue of their ancestor, a statue that was toppled over the summer.
"I apologized to Reggie for the privilege my family enjoyed at the expense of his family," said Raemer, who is on the School's Ellett Board.
Harris was rendered speechless.
It was an important moment of reconciliation for both of them. The two have shared their story with the New York Times and on CNN.
Harris, who is a singer/songwriter, closed the chapel with his song "Hickory Hill," the name of the plantation in Hanover where their connection began so long ago.
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
