International museum explores Black history from slavery to today

The International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, officially opens to the public on June 27, marking the culmination of more than two decades of planning and construction. The 150,000-square-foot museum aims to personalize the stories of Africans who endured the Middle Passage and explore the connections between Africa, the Caribbean, and the diaspora.

The Site and Its History

The museum sits atop 18 pillars overlooking Gadsden’s Wharf along the Cooper River waterfront. The wharf was built in the mid-1760s by Christopher Gadsden, a merchant and Revolutionary War leader, who sought to avoid wharfage fees. Beginning in 1806, Gadsden’s Wharf became the primary location for the transatlantic slave trade in Charleston, and later, in the United States. Historians estimate that 30,000 to 40,000 Africans entered the country through the wharf before the trade ended in 1808. Large warehouses were present to store goods, and some historians believe they were also used to house enslaved Africans awaiting auction.

Museum Design and Significance

Dr. Bernard Powers, director of the Center for the Study of Slavery at the College of Charleston, describes the wharf’s historical atmosphere, noting the sounds of anguish and languages spoken by enslaved Africans. Dr. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of IAAM, emphasizes the importance of the location, stating that the museum’s design avoids overshadowing the site’s historical significance. The pale yellow brick building, 84 feet wide and 426 feet long, features a glass and wood facade pointing toward the water, framed with sapele wood. The design resembles a ship, reflecting the journey of enslaved Africans.

The African Ancestral Memorial Garden

The museum’s grounds, called the African Ancestral Memorial Garden, were designed by landscape architect Walter Hood. The garden includes a field of disappearing sweetgrass, African-style memorial mounds, teardrop-shaped sculptures filled with rice, and kneeling figures representing enslaved Africans who built Charleston’s rice economy. Two reflecting pools display the outlines of chained Africans, symbolizing the Middle Passage. The pools’ water level changes, representing those who survived and those who perished during the journey.

Museum Mission and Impact

Malika Pryor, IAAM’s chief learning and engagement officer, highlights the museum’s commitment to authenticity and honesty in telling the story of the African American journey. The museum aims to engage the international and diaspora community and foster an appreciation for the historical significance of Gadsden’s Wharf. Powers concludes that the museum will provide visitors with a sense of the importance of the site and the enduring legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.