The Charleston Area Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Remembrance Committee invites the public to attend the 28th Annual Middle Passage Ancestor Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Brittlebank Park in downtown Charleston, SC.
This free, outdoor ceremony honors the memory of the millions of African men, women, and children who perished or survived the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This annual event provides a sacred space for remembrance, reflection, and collective healing within the African-descended community.
For over 20 years, the ceremony has taken place at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. Due to ongoing construction at the site’s dock, this year’s gathering will be temporarily relocated to Brittlebank Park. Organizers anticipate returning to Fort Moultrie once renovations are complete.
The program will include spoken word performances by local artists, traditional African drumming and dance by the Deninufay African Drum and Dance Company, and a collective libation ceremony beginning promptly at noon.
Due to the entirely outdoor setting, the educational speaker segment will be pre-recorded and made available online for individual viewing following the event. This year’s educational presentation will be pre-recorded. It will be delivered by Dr. Shannon Eaves, historian and professor at the College of Charleston, whose work focuses on African American history and the legacy of slavery.
Attendees are encouraged to wear white in honor of the ancestors and to bring their own seating.
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