black history in Charleston Archives

Feature Image: Post and Courier

Last Tuesday, July 16 the Charleston City Council unanimously voted to approve a total of $60.2 million to start construction on Charleston’s International African American Museum.

The vote comes after years of planning and fundraising, which was a success in itself. Over $90 million was raised in support of the museum along with contributions from several donors including the city of Charleston.

Since 2000, former Charleston Mayor, Joseph Riley has been working to build an internationally recognized museum on Charleston’s waterfront at Gadsden’s Wharf. This site is specifically important to the African American community as it marks the place where more enslaved African Americans arrived and were sold in the U.S. than any other location in the country.

As reported by the Post & Courier, shortly before Tuesday’s vote, Riley said, “It’s a very exciting moment in the history of the museum and our community.”

However, even with all of the support, there are still community members who are against the current building design. The group goes by the name “Citizens Want Excellence at IAAM” and is opposed to the current building design of the museum. They feel it should be changed to “reflect specific elements of African and African American culture,” and are also concerned with how the narrative of enslavement will be told at the museum.

Michael Moore, the museum’s first president, and CEO, has been heavily involved in the planning and fundraising as well to prepare for the museum’s groundbreaking. A formal groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place in October of this year with a museum opening in 2021.

Featured Image Credit: Gullah Tours Facebook

February is Black History Month and there is plenty of that history in Charleston. While not all of it is pleasant, it’s all important to know. If you want to expand your knowledge and get to know more about how Black Americans contributed, and still contribute, to our society and culture, then we’ve found some ways for you to do so. Below you’ll find just a handful of ways to participate in Black History Month.

Frankly Charleston Black History Tours

Image Credit: Frankly Charleston Tours & Sightseeing Facebook

Frankly Charleston Tours & Sightseeing says, “Slavery is not the history of the African American, Slavery interrupted the history of the African American.” They promise to show you the other side of Charleston by visiting important cultural sites. If you want to see past Charleston’s pretty veneer, this tour is for you.

Middleton Place

Image Credit: Middleton Place Facebook

For Black History Month, Middleton Place will be offering the Beyond the Fields Walking tour throughout February. You can also view Eliza’s House, an exhibit that shows the daily life of slaves and their work outside of the fields. Both of these things are included in general admission. The Middleton Place House Museum will also present an exhibit in the Summer Bedroom focusing on the interaction between members of the Middleton Family and the enslaved house servants. This is included in admission to the House Museum.

Gullah Tours

Image Credit: Gullah Tours Facebook

Gullah Tours take you through Charleston on a journey that explores the Gullah language and culture. You’ll learn about the history, places, and stories relevant to the contributions made by Black Charlestonians. Alphonso Brown will be your tour guide and he is fluent in the Gullah language and is also knowledgeable about many of the Gullah customs.

Old Slave Mart Museum

Image Credit: Old Slave Mart Museum Facebook

The Old Slave Mart Museum is housed in Charleston’s Old Slave Mart (as the name suggests). It was bought in 1938 by Miriam B. Wilson who made the site into a museum of African American history, arts and crafts. When you visit you might meet a staff member who can trace their heritage back to Charleston Slaves. There’s a lot of reading involved, so maybe don’t take the kids there.

Boone Hall Plantation

Image Credit: Boone Hall Plantation Facebook

If you want to observe Black History Month by getting to know more about Black Americans and how they played a role in the building of the country, then Boone Hall Plantation’s Black History In America program is one of the things you should do in Charleston. The story is told using nine of the original slave cabins on the property.

Slavery to Freedom Carriage Tour at Classic Carriage

Image Credit: Classic Carriage Works, LLC Facebook

Carriage tours are a great way to see Charleston. Classic Carriage Works offers many different tours including the Slavery to Freedom Tour. The tour lasts about an hour and is fully narrated by a licensed guide. Throughout the tour, you’ll see about 20 to 30 blocks of historic Charleston.

Gullah Geechee Tours

Image Credit: Gullah Geechee Tours Facebook

Gullah Geechee or Gullah Gullah Tours is another company that focuses on the Gullah culture in Charleston. Your guide Godfrey is a dedicated historian of Charleston Gullah culture. Explore the city in the black Mercedes Benz Chariot. The tour is enhanced by HD videos and images. The tour combines “history you may already know with a truth you could never imagine.”