(Columbia, SC) — Interim President Stanley Pritchett is hosting Congressman James E. Clyburn at Allen University’s Boeing Institute on Civility on Monday, March 2 for a conversation about his new book, The First Eight, published by Little, Brown and Company in November 2025. The program begins at 6:00 pm and is open to the public.
The First Eight is not my story alone. It’s South Carolina’s. It’s about the courage, conviction, and faith of the men who blazed the trail and made my own journey possible. My hope is that readers will come to know these extraordinary South Carolinians and the important lessons their experiences teach us.
Congressman James E. Clyburn
Congressman Clyburn, an honorary member of Allen University’s board of trustees, will speak with Allen Provost Dr. Toni Muhammad about the book that chronicles the lives of the pioneering eight Black South Carolinians who preceded him in the U.S. Congress, and the events that led to the 95-year gap between the last of the eight and himself.
Allen University was founded in 1870 during the same period that Congressman Clyburn writes about in ‘The First Eight,’ and the experiences of our founders are reflected on those pages. We are excited to welcome Congressman Clyburn to campus so our students and the community can learn more about this important history that is often left out of our textbooks.
Dr. Stanley J. Pritchett, President, Allen University
