Charleston
South Carolina
City Of Charleston: Black History Month Is Here
Government and Politics
February 2, 2023
From: City Of CharlestonAvery Research Center for African American History and Culture is Awarded $2 Million Grant from Mellon Foundation
The Mellon Foundation has awarded the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture a $2 million grant to support the collection and preservation of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s social and cultural history.
“This grant is a true difference maker for the College’s Avery Research Center and our entire campus,” says Andrew T. Hsu, president of the College of Charleston. “The Mellon Foundation has an incredibly strong legacy of helping to build just communities, with their significant investments to enhance a dialogue of ideas and bolster imaginations. I am excited to see how this grant will accelerate and expand the important work of the Avery Research Center’s staff as well as its immediate impact on our greater community in Charleston.”
The funding, says Tamara T. Butler, executive director of the Avery Research Center, will allow the Avery Research Center to explore and share new and rich cultural histories.
2023 TeenSpot Annual Black History Essay Contest
February 1st - March 1st during library hours
Hurd/St. Andrews Library
1735 N Woodmere Dr
Admission: Free
The 2023 Cynthia Graham Hurd/ St. Andrews Library TeenSpot Annual Black History Essay Contest has begun. This contest is open to all Charleston-area students in grades 6 through 12. One winner will be chosen from each level (middle school and high school) and will receive a trophy and a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Entries are due March 1, 2023. Winners will be notified on March 31, 2023.
Edisto Island Branch Celebrating Black History Through Music
February 1st-28th during library hours
Edisto Island Library
1589 Highway 174 Trinity Episcopal Hall, Edisto, SC
Admission: Free
Edisto Island Branch is celebrating Black History Month through music. Stop by the branch and pick up a bookmark with a list of some black musicians who have been a huge influence on American music. Perhaps this list of artitsts will help you discover some musicians you have never listened to. All of these artists' music is available through the Freegal App. Our staff is here and ready to show you how you can download free music through this free app that is offered by CCPL.
Black History Month Trivia
February 1st-28th from 9am to 8pm
Otranto Road Library
2261 Otranto Rd
Admission: Free
Throughout February test your knowledge by participating in daily trivia and be rewarded with a sweet treat at the Otranto Road Library.
Colour of Music Festival
February 1st-4th at varying times
Varying venues
Admission: $16.38+, plus fees
Since 2013, the Colour of Music Festival offers a musical kaleidoscope highlighting the impact and historical significance of black classical composers and performers on American and world culture. The Colour of Music Festival began with performances at various venues throughout historic Charleston, South Carolina and has grown to debut in cities across the country with artists from across the globe.
Sweetgrass Basket
Weaving Workshop
February 4th from 9:30am - 1:30pm
The Charleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Admission: $75-$105, plus fees
Join local artisan Sarah Edwards-Hammond for in-depth instruction on sweetgrass basketry which has been an integral part of the Lowcountry’s Gullah Geechee community since the 17th century. Edwards-Hammond comes from a long line of basket makers and has passed down the tradition to her family and others in the community.
Presentation about Edmund Jenkins and Panel Discussion with African Americans in Law Enforcement
February 4th at 2pm
Darby Building
302 Pitt Street, Mt. Pleasant
Admission: Free
Officer Calabrese will give a presentation on the life of Edmund Jenkins, an African American veteran who became the Town's first town marshal. Following the presentation, Mount Pleasant police officers will discuss topics including the legacy of Edmund Jenkins, the benefits and challenges of being in law enforcement, and the meaning of Black History Month.
Oh Happy Day Gospel Concert - "From Slavery to Freedom: Songs of Hope, Faith & Love"
February 5th at 4pm
Circular Congregational Church
150 Meeting Street
Admission: $28 (plus fees)*
children, student, & senior tickets vary
From the creators of The Sound of Charleston comes the Oh Happy Day Gospel Series at Circular Congregational Church.
In celebration of Black History Month, come and join Carl Bright and Family and Friends in celebrating Charleston’s rich gospel music heritage. Clap your hands, tap your feet, and join in singing this joyous music.
Carolima's Lowcountry Cuisine Presents: Taste of Gullah Geechee
February 5th from 4-7pm
IBA Event Venue
7910 Dorchester Rd
Admission: $75-$85, plus fees
Join Carolima's Lowcountry Cuisine to kick off Black History Month with culturally inspired cuisine prepared by some of Charleston’s top, talented, community chefs! There will be more than a dozen chefs featured with cuisine ranging from savory to sweet. Enjoy the sample sized tastings as you learn about the history of how the African diaspora has inspired the way we enjoy food in the Gullah Geechee corridor.
Enjoy the fellowship, music and hand crafted cocktails.
Support local.
Conversations with a Curator: Sea Grass Baskets with Curator of Archaeology Martha Zierden and Curator of History Chad Stewart
February 10th at 10:30- 11:00am
The Charleston Museum
360 Meeting Street
Free with admission & free for members
Join Curator of History, Chad Stewart, and Curator of Historical Archaeology, Martha Zierden, in the Lowcountry History Hall as they discuss sea grass baskets in the collections of The Charleston Museum. Rooted in Africa, coiled baskets of rush, sweetgrass, palmetto, and other local materials have been produced by local African Americans since their first arrival in Carolina.
Honors in Black: A Black History Program Celebrating Black Successors
February 10th at 8pm
Charleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Admission: $25, plus fees
A Black History Program paying homage to professionals and successors locally and abroad that have paved the way and made a difference in their communities.
The program includes some of Charleston’s most respected & recognized vocalists, groups, and musicians. Under the musical direction of “The Fellas” of LaFaye & The Fellas, bringing you a show filled with historic songs & moments that tell stories of the past struggles and successes of African American culture.
Footlight Players Present: The Mountaintop
February 10th-24th, varying times
Queen Street Playhouse
20 Queen Street
Admission: $34-$48, plus fees
Featuring NYC Equity guest actors J. Jerome Rogers and Crystin Gilmore, The Mountaintop is a compelling, fictional depiction of Martin Luther King Jr’s last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination in 1968.
This is a story written to humanize Dr. King, to help us understand that you don’t have to be superhuman to be a hero.
Keepers of the Culture: Black History, Culture, and Food in Charleston, SC
February 11th at 9am
Hyatt House Charleston/Mt. Pleasant
1430 Midtown Avenue
Admission: $275, plus fees
Explore the history of the Lowcountry with food, beverage and conversation led by bearers of Black culture in Charleston.
12:00 pm- Fireside Lunch + Craft Brewery Tasting by Chef B.J. Dennis + April Dove Featured on Netflix's High on the Hog : How African American Cuisine Transformed America, Chef BJ Dennis is considered an icon in Gullah Geechee culture and a true "Keeper of the Culture." April Dove, founder of Tha CommUNITY brew is a Charleston native and trailblazer in the craft brewery industry as an African American woman.
The Plantation Singers
February 11th at 7pm
Christ Church
2725 Bulrush Basket Lane,
Mt. Pleasant
Admission: Free
The Plantations Singers, with director Lynnette White, will perform an A Capella performance of traditional Gullah Spirituals. The intermission will include a brief presentation on sweetgrass basket making.
The View From the Workyard: Black History at the Aiken-Rhett House
February 11 from 9-11am
Aiken-Rhett House
48 Elizabeth Street
Admission: $40 plus fees
This special tour, in honor of Black History Month, will be a full house tour given from the enslaved perspective, exploring how the landscape and buildings that make up the Aiken-Rhett House complex were experienced by those held in bondage. Looking beyond the bounds of enslavement, the tour will share some of the triumphs and persistent survival tactics that enabled some of the enslaved to succeed after emancipation as free Charlestonians. Additionally, the tour will give attention to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and ingenuity of an oppressed population who built the foundations of the American Republic, and who had equal share in creating a uniquely American culture and identity.
MORE INFO
Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents "Smart People"
February 16 - 26
Cannon Street Arts Center
134 Cannon Street
Admission: $30 plus fees
This dramatic comedy by the award-winning playwright Lydia R. Diamond tells a delicious and heartrending story. On the eve of Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Election, four hyper-intelligent Cambridge residents find that despite their best intentions upon broaching the subject the topic of race is a treacherous one, full of stumbles and wrong turns. Brian, a neuroscientist, is studying the brain’s responses to race and its societal implications. Ginny, a psychiatrist, is studying low-income Asian-American women’s reaction to stress. Jackson, a young doctor, has opened a clinic for low-income patients. Valerie, a talented actor, is struggling to make ends meet by working as a house cleaner.
Through bright, funny dialogue and fast-paced vignettes, playwright Lydia Diamond brings her quartet of complicated characters to vibrant life. As they each bull-headedly pursue their professional and personal goals, they find that issues of self-awareness, identity, and race are obstacles that even “smart people” can’t seem to avoid.
The College of Charleston Department of History Presents: Black Women's History as American History
February 15th at 5:30pm
Septima Clark Auditorium
25 St. Philip Street
Admission: Free
Please join the Department of History for its annual Black History Month lecture, "Black Women's History as American History and the Everyday Struggles over Liberty and Justice," presented by guest lecturer Tamika Nunley.
CofC Gospel Choir: The Revolt to FREEDOM: The Story of Denmark Vesey
February 18th at 6pm
Trinity United Methodist Church
273 Meeting Street
Admission: $15, plus fees (free to CofC students with a valid ID)
The College of Charleston Gospel Choir will present the Black History Concert, "The Revolt to FREEDOM: The Story of Denmark Vesey."
Gullah Burial Practices
February 25th at 10am
McLeod Plantation Historic Site
325 Country Club Drive
Admission: $10, plus fees
Gullah burial practices contain elements of African spirituality brought and retained from the motherland and Christianity. Those components, their significance, and connections to modern times will be explored in this unique program. Topics will include funeral versus home-going, ownership of the service, the settin' up, what occurred before the service, and systems of support after.
Presentation by Faith Rivers James and Songs with Storytelling by Ann Caldwell
February 25th at 2pm
Wando Library
1400 Carolina Park Blvd, Mt. Pleasant, SC
Admission: Free
Faith Rivers James, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation League and Mount Pleasant native, will discuss her career and the connection between African American culture and the environment. Ann Caldwell, of the Magnolia Singers, will close the town's Black History Month celebration with songs and storytelling.
Gullah/Geechee Family Foundation Present: 2nd Annual Gullah Black History Month Experience
February 25th at 12-3pm
Cannon Street Arts Center
134 Cannon Street
Admission: Free
Authentic Gullah/Geechee performances by Deninufay Dance company, Gullah Spiritual Singing by Lorraine Singleton, Spoken word by Georgia Nubia, Gullah/Geechee Arts and Crafts, Books, Gullah Baskets and more.
Come and be apart of De Gullah Black History Month Experience!
Anson Street African Burial
Ground Memorial
Call for Hand Models!
Stephen L. Hayes Jr., a noted creator of public art, has been commissioned to create a memorial for the Ancestors at the site where they were reburied on George Street. He has designed a fountain whose basin will be formed in part from earth taken from African descendant burial sites in Charleston.
Surrounding the basin will be 36 pairs of hands to commemorate the Ancestors. The bronze hands will be cast from the hands of volunteers who share thesame age, gender, and ancestry of the Ancestors.
La’Sheia Oubré and Joanna Gilmore are identifying individuals of African descent to serve as hand models. The model’s hands will be molded in alginate (a natural substance) and cast in bronze for the memorial. The Ancestors included infants, children, teenagers, and adult women and men.
We are also asking individuals, churches, and organizations to collect soil with us from African descendant burial grounds in Charleston. The collected soil will be used to help form the basin for the fountain to symbolize the many enslaved and free Africans who lived, toiled, and were buried in the earth upon which our city is built. If you know of a burial ground and you would like to collect soil to be used in the memorial, please contact us.
Once complete, the Anson Street African Burial Ground Memorial will look like the image below, provided by Outdoor Spatial Design.
Register your interest in serving as a hand model for the memorial. We are interested in all ages.
Volunteer to collect soil from a burial ground that is meaningful for you or your community.