A Blueprint for Racial Healing | Dr. Spenser Simrill, Jr. | TEDxAsheville

What happens when you find your ancestors on the wrong side of history? Spenser Simrill Jr was teaching an ancestry course at the University of Georgia when he discovered a horrible truth: his great-great-grandfather belonged to the Ku Klux Klan in York County, South Carolina. Around the same time, Spenser received a “friend suggestion” for Michael Simril, a black man his age whose ancestors had been enslaved by Spenser’s. Would Spenser abandon the project or would he reach out to Michael and his relatives? And if so, would Michael answer his letters or take his call? Writer, filmmaker, and award-winning educator, DR SPENSER SIMRILL JR was born on Koinonia Farm, the birthplace of Habitat for Humanity. His research has led to peace walks in Liberia and Northern Ireland and to the first historical marker in South Carolina to mention the Ku Klux Klan. Spenser lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and children and teaches at Christ School.


A musician, community organizer, and stylist, MICHAEL SIMRIL hails from Rock Hill, South Carolina, his ancestral home. During the Revolutionary War, his enslaved forebears made cannonballs for the Patriot army. During Reconstruction, they testified against the Ku Klux Klan in federal court. In his free time, Michael enjoys genealogy, fishing, meditation, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.


In March 2024, Audible released “Once Removed”: an 8-episode podcast on the Simril(l) journey with an original soundtrack produced by T Bone Burnett. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx