The Bennett Family Reunion · Taylors, South Carolina

Two brothers. Two sisters. One family.

Gathering every August since 1973

Preston and Erias Bennett married sisters Mattie and Bessie Smith and made Taylors, South Carolina their home. Their children and grandchildren started the reunion in 1973, and we have kept it going generation to generation.

54th Reunion July 30 – August 1, 2027
Theme: “Each One, Bring One!”

Bennett family members in the early years, standing together outdoors in matching green reunion t-shirts — Then and now: wearing the Kelly green in the early years, and the whole family together for our 50th.

The Bennett family gathered in yellow reunion t-shirts around gold balloons reading 50 — Then and now: wearing the Kelly green in the early years, and the whole family together for our 50th.

1973First reunion, Stephenson Street

53Reunions held through 2026

26Children of the two founding couples

115+Family at the 2026 reunion

Our Story

It started in a backyard in Taylors

The Bennett Family Reunion was originated by Mr. Carnell Wyatt Bennett and Ms. Georgia Bennett. Carnell transitioned in 1976, just three years after the first reunion, and we honor him as one of the founders of everything that followed. On the first weekend of August 1973, the family gathered in the backyard of Preston and Mattie Bennett’s home and worshipped together at St. Matthew Methodist Church.

That first reunion brought together the descendants of Preston and Mattie. The descendants of Erias and Bessie soon joined them. Preston and Erias were brothers, and Mattie and Bessie were sisters.

The Bennett home stood on Stephenson Street. According to An Account of Taylors, South Carolina 1817–1994 by Jean Martin Flynn, the house was originally the schoolhouse that Black parents built for their children.

“You need to get to know your relatives.” Our reunions have been the place to do it.

Ms. Georgia Bennett, smiling, seated at a table — **Ms. Georgia Bennett**Originator · Chair 1973–1983

Portrait of Mr. Carnell Wyatt Bennett in a suit and tie — **Mr. Carnell Wyatt Bennett**Originator · First Secretary

The two originators of the Bennett Family Reunion. Photos from the 2025 Bennett Family History Book.

Lineage

Berry & Barbina Bennett

The 1880 U.S. Census, taken June 15–16, lists Berry (55), a farmer, and Barbina (40), a housekeeper, in Austin Township, Greenville County, South Carolina. Their oldest child, Jovan, worked as a farm laborer. Preston and Erias were born after that census.

William
Lillie
Hiram
Jovan
Preston
Erias
Arthur
Nancy

Founding branch · 14 children

Preston Asbury Bennett, Sr. & Mattie Blanche Smith Bennett

Preston: April 9, 1888 – October 28, 1950 · Mattie: December 28, 1889 – January 19, 1971

Julius Thomas Cleveland Bennett 1906–1991
Henrietta Blanch Bennett Williams 1908–2002
Henry Hudson Bennett 1909–1974
Jessie Amanda Bennett 1912–2006
Susie Lee Bennett Young
Lou Ella Bennett Tenant 1916–1981
Edna Viola Bennett Thomas 1917–2012
Mary “Dolly” Bennett
Dora Joan Bennett Bass 1917–2000
Robert Richard Bennett 1922–1962
Preston Asbury Bennett, Jr. –1977
Eustace Edward Bennett 1924–2020
William Donald Bennett 1925–1984
Carrie Elizabeth Bennett 1927–2018

Founding branch · 12 children

Erias Bennett & Bessie Smith Bennett

Erias: born 1879 · Bessie: born May 11, 1872

William Bennett died as a child
Frank Bennett
Homer Bennett 1903–1969
Bernice Bennett b. 1910
Robert Elliot Bennett 1911–1979
Aileen Bennett Dogans
Noah Bennett b. 1916
Beatrice Bennett Hagood
Hubert Bennett 1918–1979
Lemuel Bennett 1921–1979
Erias Jerry “EJ” Bennett b. 1922
James E. Bennett 1923–1987

Dates come from the 2025 Bennett Family History Book. Where a date is blank, the History Committee is still researching it. If you have a birth or death date, a funeral program, or a family Bible record, please share it with the committee.

Reunion Chairpersons

The family members who kept us gathering

Each reunion is the work of a chairperson and a committee of officers who gave years of their time so the family could stay close.

1973–1983
Georgia Bennett & Carnell Wyatt Bennett
Originators of the reunion. Georgia served as chair, set the family colors, and started the Great Grandchildren’s Choir; Carnell served as the first secretary until he transitioned in 1976.
1984–1999 · 2001–2006
Patricia Bennett Blassingame
Longest-serving chair
2000
Constance Bennett Ray
Reunion in Columbia, Maryland
2007–2012
V. Kelly Bennett
Atlanta reunions; created the family crest in 2009
2013–2017
Pamela Bennett Askew
40th anniversary reunion in 2013
2018–2024
Erick Bennett, Sr.
Cozumel cruise; led the family through COVID and the 50th reunion
2025–Present
James “Jamie” Bennett
Launched the Bennett Family Parade in 2026

See every reunion officer since 1973

Where we have gathered

Our home base is Taylors and Greenville, South Carolina. We have also met in:

2000Columbia, Maryland
2004Nassau, Bahamas (cruise)
2007Atlanta, Georgia
2010Atlanta, Georgia
2018Cozumel, Mexico (cruise)

The Podcast

Bennett Family In Touch

Conversations with our elders, our history, and our family, hosted by V. Kelly Bennett. In this episode, Cousin Edna Ward, the eldest living member of the Hudson Bennett line, shares her memories.

More episodes on YouTube Family Past

Can’t see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

Reunion Themes

Every year, a message for the family

Our themes go back to the 14th reunion in 1987. Each one says something about belonging, strength, and love.

See every theme, year by year

1987Keeping Our Family Strong14th reunion
1988Strength in Numbers15th reunion
1989Families Are Forever16th reunion
1990The Ties That Bind17th reunion
1991Homecoming18th reunion
1992Bennett Men: Reclaiming Our Family19th reunion
1993Rooted and Grounded in Love20th reunion · Greenville’s “Bennett Reunion Day”
1996The Blessedness of Unity23rd reunion
1998Celebrating a Legacy of Love, Commitment, and Friendship25th reunion
1999Honoring Our Past26th reunion
2000Preserving Our Past… Embracing Our Future27th reunion · Columbia, MD
2001Celebrating the Journey28th reunion
2002One Family Under God29th reunion
2004Family Leaving an Imprint31st reunion · Nassau cruise
2005He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother32nd reunion
2006This Is the Legacy33rd reunion
2007Strong Roots… Strong Fruits34th reunion · Atlanta
2009Remembering Our Ancestors: “The Torch Is Passed, The Legacy Continues”36th reunion
201340 Years of Faith, Family, and Fellowship40th reunion
2014Legacy of Family, Faith, and Love41st reunion
2016–23One Family, One Love, One Legacy43rd–50th reunions · 2020–21 cancelled for COVID
2024Where Generations Collide and Love Multiplies51st reunion
2025Reclamation: Rooted in Love52nd reunion
2026Rooted in Love: Uniting Generations53rd reunion · first Bennett Family Parade

Traditions

What makes it a Bennett reunion

Kelly green and yellow

Ms. Georgia Bennett wanted the family attire, programs, and church flowers to match. She chose our colors: Kelly green and yellow. Not just any green, Kelly green!

Sunday worship

Worship has always been central. We have attended St. Matthew Methodist in Taylors, New Psalmist Baptist in Baltimore, New Birth South Metropolitan in Atlanta, and held our own services at sea.

The Bennett Choir

The Bennett Great Grandchildren’s Choir first sang in 1982, in yellow robes made by Dorothy Kelly, under director Georgia Bennett. Pamela Bennett and later Spencer Bennett carried it on as the Bennett Choir.

Table of Remembrance

Each family brings a framed photo of a loved one who has passed. The photos are displayed together on Saturday in tribute to their legacy.

The Bennett Family Parade

New in 2026: each branch presents its direct lineage with a skit, song, poem, dance, or custom t-shirts, showing how we connect as one family. See the Parade and Ancestor Tribute.

The Family Pledge

We recite the Black Family Pledge by Dr. Maya Angelou, a promise to bind ourselves to one another and care for every member of the family. Read about the pledge.

The Bennett Family Crest: a yellow shield with a double cross, an oak tree, a lion, and a crowned heart, over a banner reading Faith and Family

The Family Crest

Ambition, honor, pride, and loyalty

In 2009, Kelly Bennett created the Bennett Family Crest to further strengthen our bond as a family and our sense of who we are. Its symbols were chosen to show what makes the Bennett family unique, and the achievements and qualities that have come to be associated with our name.

The Bennett name has spoken, and continues to speak, volumes in a wide range of professions and careers. Our ancestors expected the very best of us. They paved the way for opportunities they themselves were never privileged to have. Every part of the crest is a reminder of that.

The crest reflects the values and principles that shaped our family’s past, guide us in the present, and will keep inspiring us into the future.

The Cross · AmbitionOur drive and determination to always strive for greatness. It has been passed down through generations and led to the many accomplishments our family is proud of today.

Trees & Leaves · HonorOur deep respect for tradition, the strength of our roots, and the wisdom of those who came before us. It reminds us to carry ourselves with dignity and integrity.

The Lion · PrideThe courage and confidence with which we approach life: standing tall and meeting challenges with the same boldness as our ancestors.

The Heart · LoyaltyThe unbreakable bonds of love and commitment that tie the Bennett family together, so that through every era we remain united.

As we look ahead, the crest reminds us that ambition, honor, pride, and loyalty will keep lighting our way, so the Bennett family legacy endures and thrives.

The Family Pledge

The Black Family Pledge

by Dr. Maya Angelou

At our reunions we recite this pledge together. It is a promise to bind ourselves to one another: to embrace and keep company with the least and loneliest among us, and to remember that we are more than keepers of our brothers and sisters.

Honors over the years

Recognized across the states

Proclamation declaring July 31, 1993 “Bennett Reunion Day”City of Greenville, Office of the Mayor
Congratulatory message, July 28, 1993The Senate of South Carolina, Theo W. Mitchell, Chairman
Congratulatory message, July 13, 2000President Bill Clinton
Congratulatory message, August 6, 2000State of Maryland, Governor Parris Glendening

Photos

From the family album

A Bennett family group posing together indoors

Two Bennett elders standing together at a celebration

Robert Elliot “Red” Bennett in a gray suit, seated in an armchair

Vintage photos of family dancing at a reunion

Vintage photo of Bennett men seated outdoors

Two Bennett elders holding plates at a reunion

Vintage black-and-white portrait of a Bennett elder in a polka-dot dress

Vintage photos of family members at a gathering

Stay In Touch

Each One, Bring One!

Our 2027 challenge: bring one relative who hasn’t been to a reunion in a while. Here’s how to stay connected until August.

Join the family email list

Reunion news, registration, and planning updates go out through our family Google Group.

bennett-family-email@googlegroups.com

Listen to the podcast

Bennett Family In Touch, hosted by V. Kelly Bennett. Watch the latest episode. Episodes include:

The History Edition
The Medical Edition
Cousin Edna Ward, eldest living from the Hudson Bennett line
A sit-down with Aunts Pat and Dee
A Talk with the Chair

Help build the archive

The Bennett Family Historical Project is collecting photos, videos, programs, and records from past reunions. If you have any, please email them to the committee, and tell us who is in each photo.

Find us on Facebook: Bennett Family In Touch.