Just last week, the International African American Museum opened in Charleston, SC, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The museum is devoted to honoring narratives of the African American journey at a sacred site where an estimated 45 percent of enslaved Africans first set foot on American soil. The Gadsden’s Wharf is no longer, but the museum is perched on piers to recall this history and imbue visitors with an empathetic look at the brutal history here—and also to celebrate the resilience and reconciling trauma and joy.
The museum’s logo of several stacked black and white chevrons has a significant meaning. According to the museum’s website, the design points upward, “to reflect our ongoing aspirations for racial justice and social equity, a movement we invite all to join. The lines intertwine in a woven pattern that recalls timeless African, African Diaspora, and African American art traditions of weaving, from cloth to baskets to language.”
The galleries showcase artifacts and collections telling the history of the African and African American experience, such as the Transatlantic Crossings exhibit. This exhibit focuses on the slave trade that forced more than 12.5 million captured African people into slavery—many of them coming through the Gadsden’s Wharf where the museum is situated.
At the museum, you can visit the Center for Family History, a genealogical research center that helps people trace ancestors with FamilySearch kiosks, a storybooth, and more. The museum hosts programs, such as July 8’s “POWER: Owning our Story: The Power behind the Black Identity,” and several other events throughout July and August.
The African Ancestors Memorial Garden is free and publicly accessible with monuments and areas for quiet reflection, while you’ll need timed entry tickets to visit the main museum and Center for Family History. As a new museum, the facility welcomes volunteers, donors and people purchasing annual memberships. To see everything, it’s recommended that visitors plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours here inside and then an additional half-hour to an hour in the memorial garden.
This powerful museum shows the varied experiences of Black history and includes exhibits such as the enduring influence jazz has had on our national culture, including jazz great Duke Ellington, and the achievements of African American men. It also uplifts little-known people such as Frances Thompson, formerly enslaved, who testified in front of Congress in 1866 to fight for justice as a Black transgender woman.