Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories

Posted on by Ashleigh H. 
This year’s theme of Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” In the Lowcountry, local women share their narratives of black female liberation through various forms of media. Here are some Charleston creatives that have greatly influenced women in the media beyond the peninsula.

Kris Kaylin- Social Media Influencer, Radio Personality, Event Host

Kris Kaylin is a charismatic media personality and host of the Chucktown Hit Factory. With her new talk show, Diva Talk, she interviews a number of guests on topics ranging from black entertainment to mental health in the black community. Known as “The Princess of Charleston,” Kaylin is active within the community where she uses her platform to highlight the black Charleston scene.

https://www.kriskaylinofficial.com/

Mabel King- Actress

Mabel King was an actress from Charleston who got her big break on the ABC sitcom, “What’s Happening!!” in the late 70s. She stepped down from her role as Mabel “Mama” Thomas after her request to represent the show’s family as a two parent household rather than single mother household was denied by the network. King is best known for her role as the wicked witch of the west, Evillene, in Motown production, “The Wiz.” Her portrayal of black motherhood and culture during the 70s provided positive representation of black women of that time and beyond.

Jirah Perkins- Artist

Jirah Perkins is an up and coming artist from the Lowcountry who depicts the joy of girlhood to womanhood in the black community. Her latest exhibit, “Miss Mary Mack” showcases the many children’s songs and games black girls would take part in. Perkins wanted to change the narrative of criminalizing and sexualizing black women in the media through her work. Perkins’s work can be viewed on her website and Instagram.

https://ujorii.com

Alice Childress- Novelist, Playwright, Actress

Alice Childress was a playwright and novelist born here in Charleston. She later moved to Harlem, New York where she went on to write and direct her first play, Florence. All of the plays she conducted addressed issues of racism, poverty in black urban communities, and problems plaguing black youth. Her play, Gullah, paid homage to her Charleston roots. discussed her acclimation to life up north, and finding a sense of community with other black southerners who moved to New York. Childress is also a children’s book writer covering racial and socioeconomic topics.

Bertha Hill- Singer

Bertha Hill is a Charleston blues singer who found success in the genre at the age of 14. She worked with a number of black artists such as Louis Armstrong, Ma Rainey, and studied under Ethel Waters. Hill moved to Harlem and Chicago to perform in various nightclubs during her youth. While her music career was short-lived, her records, “Pratt City Blues,” “Trouble in Mind,” and “Weary Money Blues” keeps her memory alive.

International Women’s Day: On the Fringe of Change

Posted on by Ashleigh H.

International Women’s Day is a holiday observed on March 8th to bring awareness to the achievements and challenges of the women’s rights movement. Matters such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women and girls are often highlighted throughout the month. Along with this,  female activists around the world fight to improve the quality of life for women. In Charleston, the local foundation IBU Movement hosted an event called the Fringe Revolution to showcase the stories of women artisans around the world through international cuisine, speeches, and a fashion showcase.

IBU Movement works with craftswomen around the world in order for women to generate a source of income based on their artisanal skills. This organization gives women from underrepresented cultures a platform for female empowerment through fashion. This year, IBU celebrated artisan women and their designs in honor of International Women’s Day. The global craftswomen noted the revolutionary change within their communities that has expanded beyond that. In a culturally rich city like Charleston, these women’s stories resonated with many attendees who had a strong appreciation for the customs and traditions of others. Downtown’s strong Gullah roots could feel akin to the representation of designers from various parts of Africa. 

I had the privilege of walking in the Fringe Revolution fashion show, and it was an amazing experience. Exhibiting the beautiful work of Uzbekistan artisan women, I felt esteemed to share the stories of these women through their designs. A day full of female empowerment and celebration created an aspiration of change among women. The challenges and triumphs of women around the world are a testament to the fight for equity. In many cultures and societies, women do not receive the same opportunities for social, political, and economic success as men. IBU’s foundation created a platform for women around the world to stand on a united front to make a difference for women, by women. 

To learn more about Charleston’s fashion hub for change, visit their website and check out their latest spring/summer collection available online or in-store downtown on King Street.

https://ibumovement.com/

A Gullah Gallery: An Ode to Charleston’s Black History

Posted on by Ashleigh H. 
When thinking about black history, we often reflect on those who came before us. In a city like Charleston, the spirit of the Gullah community is alive through everyday customs and practices that you may not have even known had originated from the Gullah people.

Early Origins of the Gullah People

Two Gullah men working on an oyster bed on one of Charleston’s surrounding islands.

The Gullah people are descendants of West Africans slaves who were located in the lowcountry region of South Carolina including its sea islands. Historians have linked Charleston’s Gullah ancestry to Bunce Island, Sierra Leone, and Angola. The culture and language of the Gullah people is a blend of West African and European practices. The Gullah language has been inaccurately referred to as broken English when it is actually an English creole language. They use their language to pass down folk tales to younger generations and to sing spirituals in order to preserve the Gullah culture. Before, during, and after slavery, this group of people worked mostly off the coast of the state in fishing and agricultural industries. The climate and environment of South Carolina is similar to that of West Africa so the Gullah community was very knowledgable on land cultivation.

Food for the Soul and the South

The Gullah people are responsible for Charleston’s rich food history. The city is known famously for its shrimp and grits, rice pilaf, and lowcountry seafood boil. Many of these dishes were both affordable and able to feed a family for the week when made in one pot. Oysters and okra soup are both dishes Charlestonians began to eat after the Gullah people introduced it to the community. When dining in the downtown area, it is easy to point out which meals had some African influence with southern flare. Next time you are hungry, we recommend you try these black-owned Charleston Gullah restaurants: Hannibal’s Kitchen, Bertha’s Kitchen, East Side Soul Food, and My Three Sons of Charleston.

Home

African Artistic Roots

Pieces of the Gullah culture can be seen thoughout Charleston. Sweetgrass creations are sold in the city market in the style of baskets, roses, bags, etc. by the locals. Originally used as functional baskets to carry items and to minnow rice, the artistic skill of the Gullah people is a hot commodity for tourists and locals to collect. Local sweetgrass artist, Corey Alston (pictured above) is known for his beautiful craftmanship and his work is featured in the Charleston City Market and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Lowcountry artist Jonathan Green, grew up on the sea islands and reflected his Gullah upbringing through his art. He is known in the creative world as an important artist of the Southern experience. In religious spaces, the ring shout is practiced among the Gullah people and many black Baptist and Methodist churches throughout the South. Dancing, call and response singing, and percussive hand clapping made up the praise and worship services which paid homage to their African origins.

Celebration and Culture

The Gullah culture is celebrated in numerous ways across the Lowcountry. Every May, the city of Beaufort hosts The Original Gullah Festival with a weekend full of food, art, and workshops. Also in May, the Gullah Gala “Charleston Renaissance; Birth of Art,” will be featuring music, fashion, and local businesses at Founders Hall in Charleston, SC.

The Charleston Gullah community has preserved their African heritage and customs more than any other African American group in the United States. Next time you find yourself in the Charleston area, take time to attend a Gullah tour, eat at local soul food restaurants, and speak to the Gullah people in the market to learn more about the rich black history here in the holy city.

https://allevents.in/charleston/gullah-gala-fashion-and-music-experience/10000530052139217

9 Facts You Should Know about Local Hero, Septima P. Clark

Posted on by Ashleigh H.

“I believe unconditionally in the ability of people to respond when they are told the truth. We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm.”- Septima P. Clark
  1. She is a Charleston native

Septima P. Clark was born May 3, 1898 on Wentworth St. in the historic Downtown Charleston district. Born to a former slave and Haitian laundress, her parents strived to provide a strong foundation of learning for young Septima.

  1. Septima was a devoted educator

Clark earned her teaching license at the age of 18 instructing black children in John’s Island and downtown at the Avery Normal Institute (now the College of Charleston Avery Research Center). Additionally, she taught black Charleston locals how to read and write in order for them to vote by using Sears catalogs and household items to instruct her students. Septima continued her education and earned her bachelor’s degree from Benedict College (1942) and her master’s from Hampton Institute (1946).

  1. She was an activist for black teacher pay and teacher desegregation in Charleston schools

In 1956, Clark worked closely with the Charleston Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight for black teachers rights to equal pay and be allowed to work in South Carolina public schools. Although her efforts were successful that year, her teaching license was revoked due to her affiliation with the NAACP. Since she could no longer teach in SC, Clark moved to Tennessee and worked for the Highlander Folk School. She helped improve students’ literacy skills and led workshops in social justice/political engagement – Rosa Parks attended one of these sessions before being at the forefront of the Montgomery bus boycott.

  1. Clark was a key figure of the Civil Rights Movement

In 1961, Clark went on to work for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Ga. She was appointed as the director of teaching and education over its Citizen Education Program. Septima hosted workshops to prepare black Americans for protests and the polls. She believed that education was important for African Americans to progress forward in society. In this position, she played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and was coined the “Mother of The Movement” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  1. She holds many accolades and awards

Clark moved back to Charleston and was elected to the Charleston School Board in 1975 and had her teacher’s pension reinstated after her wrongful termination decades earlier. The College of Charleston awarded Septima Clark with an honorary degree and received the Living Legacy Award under President Carter the following year for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1982, she earned the highest SC civilian award, Order of the Palmetto.

  1. Septima Clark is a published author

Septima Clark wrote two memoirs, Echo in My Soul (1962) and Ready from Within (1986) to highlight her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and her platform of literacy, education, and political participation among African Americans. In 1987, her second book received the American Book Award.

  1. She has a school dedicated to her educational mission in Charleston

Clark’s legacy continues through the installment of Septima P. Clark Corporate Academy in 1990 which is an educational program that assists at-risk high school students in receiving their high school diploma.

  1. Clark’s life will soon appear on stage

Check out the upcoming play, SEPTIMA, commissioned by PURE Theatre and the League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area to learn more about Septima Clark’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. The play will run from March 9th to April 1st at the PURE Theatre in Downtown Charleston.

  1. The College will be celebrating the work of Septima Clark in new exhibition

The newly installed Septima P. Clark Memorial Auditorium will be hosting an exhibition in Clark’s honor Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 5:00pm. It will be held in the Thaddeus Street Jr. Education Center at the College of Charleston. To learn more about local hero Sepitma Clark and her impact in the Charleston community, check out The College’s exhibition website. https://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/septima_clark