There’s just something about Larry Holmes. He has an infectious, joyous spirit and is definitely a people person. Born in Harlem, New York, Holmes didn’t make his way down to Mount Pleasant until 1975. “Mount Pleasant was my father’s home. He was always encouraging us to visit my relatives in Mount Pleasant, but the first time I came wasn’t until his funeral.” Holmes' family has deep roots in the Snowden Community. His father and mother are buried at Olive Branch AME church alongside many of his relatives, including his great-grandfather who was born in 1847.
Though Holmes' extended family owned property in Mount Pleasant, his grandfather relocated the family to New York in the 1920s where he was later born. Holmes remembers his formative years in Harlem fondly. “At that time, growing up in a large family, New York offered everything. There were many great educational, cultural and employment opportunities.”
Having grown up so close to Manhattan, he felt a “little apprehensive” about visiting South Carolina for the first time. “My cousins immediately put me at ease, showing me true southern hospitality. Up north when you go to someone’s house, they offer you a drink. But here they offer you food!” Through their kindness they demonstrated what Holmes' father had always instilled in him — the importance of family.
Having done well in school, and after spending some time in the military, Holmes earned free tuition to City College of New York, where he majored in math. After graduation, he began sending resumes all over the East Coast, including South Carolina. It was shortly thereafter that he got a call from the principal of Burke High School in Downtown Charleston. Holmes ended up taking a job as a math teacher and stayed in the same position for 34 years.
As Holmes reflected on the path that led him to becoming a teacher, there was a memory that helped solidify his decision. Always an observer of people, he was once waiting for his mother to come out of an appointment in the Bronx when he saw three young children, two girls and a boy, all under the age of 10. “Their hair wasn’t combed; they weren’t properly dressed. Across the street their mother was hanging out, shouting and admonishing them. I knew I couldn’t do anything about that situation, but I knew what I could do going forward.”
Holmes always felt his calling was in the classroom. Eventually receiving a Master's of Teaching in Mathematics from The Citadel, he always strived to take his students further than what was expected, teaching them to pursue life with confidence and determination. He also encouraged them to spread their wings. Holmes fondly recalled three young women in his honors class who always stuck close together. When they later came back to visit the school, he was happy to learn that each had branched out in their own way. “One received her Doctorate in Pharmacy, one became an attorney in Atlanta and one took an engineering position in New Zealand.”
Holmes observed that in many ways we are all teachers, all with our own special knowledge to pass onto others. When he retired, he volunteered as a math tutor for eight years at The Safe Zone, an enrichment program in the community center of his neighborhood.
When asked if after all this time he ever wanted to move back up north, Holmes said no.
Though New York will always occupy a large place in his heart, he is firmly established in South Carolina. “I obtained a portion of my grandfather’s property in Mount Pleasant and never wanted to sell it. It’s part of a legacy.”
Holmes currently sits on the board of the African American Settlement Community Historic Commission. The Commission is currently refurbishing the 1904 Long Point School, a historic African American schoolhouse which moved to the Snowden Community in 2021. It is currently in the process of being restored into a museum and cultural center.
Holmes has a full life and though his wife, Bessie Allen Holmes, a former Wando teacher, died of cancer in 2016, he still never feels lonely. He is very grateful for his loving family; his children, brothers, sisters and many cousins. He also cherishes his friends, including the ones from his early years who always encouraged him to study, even taking the day off from work to watch him graduate college. Holmes also has other friends with whom he enjoys playing tennis.
Holmes is a great example of fully appreciating life, putting people at ease with his welcoming smile, as well as using his strengths and talents to both serve others and preserve history.