Kitty Wilson-Evans
Kitty Wilson-Evans was an American historical interpreter and storyteller. She was born in Fort Benning, Georgia, and grew up in Columbus with 14 siblings. She worked as a kindergarten teacher before becoming a full-time historical interpreter in the early 1990s at Historic Brattonsville, where she was the first African American interpreter. There she created a fictional enslaved character named Kessi to show what life was like for an 18th‑century slave. Through her performances and tours of the slave residence, she educated visitors about enslaved African Americans.
Her work also took her to other sites, including Rose Hill Plantation and Redcliffe Plantation. The character of Kessi inspired a character in the book Colonial Spy by M. C. Beckham. Wilson-Evans acted on stage at places like Lincoln Memorial University and even filmed a scene for The Patriot (which was cut).
She and her character Kessi are the focus of two books: Kessie's Tales: The Adventures of an African-American Slave Girl in South Carolina (2008) and Old Maw: The Legend of Miss Kessie (2013). Wilson-Evans received several honors for her work, including the Robert E. Lee Service Award from the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 2008 (she may have been the first African American recipient), a 2009 celebration at the University of South Carolina Lancaster during Black History Month, and the Keepers of the Culture Award from York County's Culture and Heritage Museums in 2011. In 2014 she was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, and in 2017 she received the Medal of Honor in the Arts from Winthrop University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:28 (CET).