HERU

 Ahead of its official 2023 opening, the International African American Museum (IAAM) is offering a series of virtual and in-person programming that honors the lives and legacies of the African American community. 

 

The programming kicks off with a Black History Month Webinar Series, featuring three panel discussions about the challenges of African American genealogy research and best practices for getting started with family genealogy. Additional events include a panel on the

Charleston domestic slave trade featuring Margaret Seidler, known as the “Accidental Historian,” and a music-oriented journey into Gullah Geechee culture with Sunn m’Cheaux, an instructor of the Gullah language in Harvard University’s African Language Program.

 

IAAM, in partnership with the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor, will present a series of weekly Saturday Zoom webinars through the end of Black History Month.

 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH WEBINAR SERIES 

 

Researching for the United States Colored Troops 

Feb. 18, 1 p.m.  

MORE INFO: The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were African American military units that served during the Civil War, played a significant role in the Union Army, and were instrumental in securing victory for the North. This session will demonstrate how researching the USCT can provide valuable information for those interested in African American genealogy and military history.

 

“First, there was the word”: Conversations with Authors Who Are Theologians

Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m.

MORE INFO: In this first conversation in IAAM’s newest quarterly activation, Funlayo E. Wood, PhD, will present on “Other” Spaces of Black Spirituality: African Americans and African Religions. This presentation and conversation will explore African traditions including Hoodoo, Haitian Vodoun, and Yoruba-derived traditions as practiced by African Americans. Audience members will become acquainted with the history of these traditions, why they have evoked fear and bias in American Society, and how they have served and continue to serve as sources of empowerment in African American life.

 

Charleston Domestic Slave Trade 

Feb. 25, 1 p.m. 

MORE INFO: Known as the “Accidental Historian,” Margaret Seidler will share details of her genealogical research that led to the discovery of her ancestor’s slave brokerage business on Broad Street in downtown Charleston.

 

ANNUAL AWAKENING OF THE ANCESTORS

 

In March, the Annual Awakening of the Ancestors program, in partnership with the First Baptist Church of James Island, returns. This popular museum program will once again take participants on a musical journey that taps an intersection of Lowcountry spirituals to explore Gullah Geechee culture.  

 

Awakening of the Ancestors Through Music

March 11, 4 p.m. 

First Baptist Church of James Island

MORE INFO: In partnership with the First Baptist Church of James Island, Sunn m’Cheaux, Christal Heyward, and Dr. Jessica Berry, Awakening of the Ancestors Through Music will offer the public an experience that is as melodic as it is revelatory. Audiences will embark on a journey that uses an intersection of Lowcountry spirituals to explore Gullah Geechee culture. The event provides opportunities for learning, from witnessing the Lowcountry’s rich ancestral music heritage – its styles, meaning, language, and purpose – to directly engaging in dialogue and community throughout the entire program.

 

For a comprehensive list of upcoming programming listed below and ways to register and/or RSVP, visit iaamuseum.org.