The Beaufort County Historical Society / Beaufort District Collection "Historically Speaking" lecture series continues on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at Noon. This free lecture, "The New Face of African American
Public History in Charleston: The Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston and the International African American Museum (IAAM)," will be presented by Dr. Bernard Powers. Dr. Powers is currently serving as the interim CEO and President of the IAAM and the College of Charleston's Center for the Study of Slavery.
The IAAM, started with a vision by former Mayor Joe Riley, has been in the planning and fundraising stages for nearly 20 years. The $92 million dollar project will be located on Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston where nearly half of the enslaved Africans landed in America. According to Dr. Elijah Heyward native of Beaufort and Chief Operating Officer, the money has come from individuals, organizations and governments from inside South Carolina, the United States and other parts of the world.
The Museum will include exhibits tracing African American history from Africa to North America and the Caribbean, from slavery into the 21st century. It will tell the story of African American culture, including that of the Gullah/Geechee people.
In addition, the Museum will be a center for genealogical research and provide a recording space for oral histories, connecting individuals to their own history and linking family histories with others. Changing exhibits will look at contemporary issues affecting the African American experience.
The IAAM and the Center for the Study of Slavery are eager to work with other museums and historic sites across South Carolina to raise public awareness of the deep and lasting contributions of African Americans to human society.
The Museum will include exhibits tracing African American history from Africa to North America and the Caribbean, from slavery into the 21st century. It will tell the story of African American culture, including that of the Gullah/Geechee people.
In addition, the Museum will be a center for genealogical research and provide a recording space for oral histories, connecting individuals to their own history and linking family histories with others. Changing exhibits will look at contemporary issues affecting the African American experience.
The IAAM and the Center for the Study of Slavery are eager to work with other museums and historic sites across South Carolina to raise public awareness of the deep and lasting contributions of African Americans to human society.
Access to this program is on a first come, first seated basis. Seating will begin at 11:30 AM. We will seat customers until we run out of seats and/or meet the Fire Marshal's room capacity limit.
In addition to his current positions, Dr. Powers is the College of Charleston's Professor Emeritus of History. Powers taught in the Department of History from 1992 to 2018, serving stints as department chair and director of the master’s program in history.
Dr. Powers has published numerous works on African-American social and cultural history. His book Black Charlestonians: A Social History 1822-1885 (University of Arkansas Press, 1994) won a Choice Award for Best Academic Books. He also co-authored We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel (Thomas Nelson, 2016). [audio book; printed book]
Reminder: The Library will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 20, 2020, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Regular hours resume on Tuesday, January 21.
To learn more about Dr. King's visits to St. Helena Island, read "Martin Luther King, Jr. Rested and Wrote at Penn Center," the Connections post for 12 January 2017 that was last updated 9 January 2020.
You can celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King by exploring the articles and materials posted to the Library's MLK Jr. webpage.
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