J. Brent Morris

J. Brent Morris is a Professor of History at Clemson University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Humanities and the Department of History. Previously, he served as Professor of History and founding director of the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of South Carolina.

His research focuses on South Carolina history, the American South, and African American history, with notable works including Dismal Freedom (2022), Reconstruction Beyond 150 (2023), and Yes, Lord I Know the Road (2017). His scholarship emphasizes the experiences of marginalized communities, particularly maroon societies and African Americans, and their struggles for freedom and equality.

Dr. Morris has received over $1.8 million in grants and fellowships, including the 2018 Award of the Order of the South (highest honor from the Southern Academy of Letters). He has advised public projects like the International African American Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

His awards include the 2010 Malcolm C. Clark Award and the 2016 Breakthrough Star for Research. He has authored/co-authored multiple books and peer-reviewed articles, addressing topics such as Reconstruction, abolitionism, and the legacy of slavery.

His current projects include The Changing Palmetto State: A New History of South Carolina since WWII (co-authored with Walter B. Edgar, under contract). He also leads initiatives like the Reconstruction360 digital project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.