International African American Museum opens in Charleston

Overlooking the old wharf in Charleston, at which nearly half of the enslaved population first entered North America, the 150,000-square-foot museum houses exhibits and artifacts exploring how African Americans’ labor, perseverance, resistance and cultures shaped the Carolinas, the nation and the world.




One unique feature of the museum is its gallery dedicated to the history and culture of the Gullah Geechee people. Their isolation on rice, indigo and cotton plantations in coastal South Carolina, Georgia and North Florida helped them maintain ties to West African cultural traditions and Creole language. A multimedia, chapel-sized “praise house” in the gallery highlights the faith expressions of the Gullah Geechee and shows how those expressions are imprinted on Black American gospel music.

On Saturday, the museum grounds buzzed with excitement as its founders, staff, elected officials and other invited guests dedicated the grounds in spectacular fashion. The program was emceed by award-winning actor and director Phylicia Rashad and included stirring appearances by poet Nikky Finney and the McIntosh County Shouters, who perform songs passed down by enslaved African Americans.

“Truth sets us free — free to understand, free to respect and free to appreciate the full spectrum of our shared history,” said former Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley Jr., who is widely credited for the idea to bring the museum to the city.

International African American Museum opens
International African American Museum opens - Tampa Bay Times

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International African American Museum opens - Tampa Bay Times

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Really think it's a must see for all of us as Americans. It's our shared history

 

Although there are others in other locations that cover some of the same material, as well there should be. As Yale historian David Blight has detailed, the total aggregate value of enslaved persons at the beginning of the Civil War was greater than any other asset in the United States even the value of all of the land. Slavery fueled agriculture is quite literally the cornerstone of our early economic development as a nation, the results of which shaped so much of our national development. Though it was geographically centered, the whole nation participated in the profits. The New York Copperhead riots were in large part because of the intense economic benefit in our nascent financial center from the financialization of the profits.

It is not just a singular historical episode which passed and left little impact. And I'm not just talking about human relations, but our economic development. It is such a significant part of our history and should be understood to the greatest extent possible. As the article states, the truth shall set us free.