National

15 Years On, Museum Where Slaves Landed Taking Form

Published

10 years ago

March 2, 2015

Photo of the present-day Cooper River bridge. Gadsden’s Wharf, a major point-of-entry for the slave trade, was on the Cooper River waterfront in Charleston, SC. (Laura Bruzek/Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0)

Bruce Smith, ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A tranquil spot on the Cooper River in Charleston is a place of memory, much like New York’s Ellis Island or Angel Island in San Francisco.

But those islands were beacons for millions who sought a better life in America. Gadsden’s Wharf which once stood on Charleston’s waterfront was where tens of thousands of African slaves brought against their wills first stepped foot in the United States.

For almost 15 years work has been underway on creating a museum to tell the story of those who arrived in chains – where they came from and what they did to help build America. Now the $75 million International African American Museum to be built on the site is more than a vision.

Last week, organizers had their first public meeting to discuss ideas for exhibits and displays. Later this month the first architectural renderings will be reviewed by city officials and, if all goes to plan, construction could begin next year with the museum opening in 2018.

In a nation where numerous museums tell the story of the black experience – indeed the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opens in Washington next year – Charleston’s promises to be different.

“The extraordinary thing we have in Charleston is the authenticity of place – a place whose power has never been recognized,” says noted museum exhibit designer Ralph Appelbaum, whose work includes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

“One would never know walking on this site that one might have once been hearing the cries or the laughter of people who lived on this site and were being held for sale,” he said.

The wharf was built by Revolutionary War leader Christopher Gadsden, also known for designing the yellow rattlesnake flag of the period with the legend “Don’t Tread on Me.” When the British left Charleston in 1783 after the end of the war, they embarked from Gadsden’s wharf.

One side of the planned 42,000-square-foot museum will have large windows looking out on the water which humans crossed from Africa in the holds of slave ships. That will be mirrored on the other side of the building with windows looking on Charleston, the first city slaves passed through as they began lives of servitude in the United States.

The museum plans, among other things, a family history center where, using touchscreen technology, visitors can do genealogical research and add their own stories to the database.

Exhibits will trace the journey of Africans from Africa to colonial South Carolina, through the Revolution and antebellum period to freedom after the Civil War. Other exhibits will tell the story of blacks during the Jim Crow era of segregation and the civil rights movement to the present day.

“What this is being driven by is the opportunity to create place of memory and remembrance on the actual site of the first footfall of 40 percent of enslaved Africans in America,” Appelbaum said.

Wilburn Johnson, the chairman of the museum board, says the story the museum will tell will not only resonate in the region “but also across this country and across the world.”

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Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024

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November 16, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

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November 9, 2024

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OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me

NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.

A Familiar Disappointment

I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.

In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.

The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough

On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?

Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.

One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.

A Call for Action Beyond Words

White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.

If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.