NMAAHC’s MAKING AFRICAN AMERICA: A Virtual Symposium on Immigration and the Changing Dynamics of Blackness (March 5 – 20)

The Making African America symposium brings together scholars, journalists, activists, curators, filmmakers and writers to discuss how immigration has shaped and is continuing to reshape what it means to be black in the United States.

Explore the program and register here

Deep Blue : An Indigo Exhibition exhibition at the Public Works Art Center (Summerville, SC) from March 6 to April 16

Opening Saturday: “Deep Blue: An Indigo Exhibition” features eleven indigo artists from across the Lowcountry and beyond, including Kibibi Ajanku, Kristy Bishop, Arianne King Comer, Kelly Fort, Dale Fort, Ifé Franklin, Caroline Harper, Heather Powers, Marion Scott Readett, Pam Shanley, and Mary Young, Each artist individually explores their connections to the historically significant plant, sharing works of art that summon stories and encourage introspection. Programming will accompany this show throughout its run, including a streaming of the documentary film “Blue Alchemy: Stories of Indigo” by Mary Lance, off-site excursions to a local indigo farm, shibori classes, outdoor indigo workshops, and more. This show runs March 6-April 16 in the East Gallery at Public Works Art Center, and the official reception will be Thursday, March 18 from 6pm-8:30pm. *There will be a virtual offering of this exhibition in the way of a professional video presentation. Stay tuned!*

Summit Series Finale with Mehrsa Baradaran: The Color of Money and the History of Black Banks

Wed, Mar 10, 2021 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

The Color of Money author and professor Mehrsa Baradaran will discuss the history of Black banking in America. Her keynote address will connect the origins of Black banking with the oppressive policies that created today’s racial wealth gap. The second half of the finale will feature a discussion focused on South Carolina communities as seen through the lens of Baradaran’s work. Join the conversation by purchasing the book through Turning Page Bookshop, a Black-owned independent bookstore in Goose Creek, SC.

Register using this link https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3066453676193502476

THE CHARLES JOYNER INSTITUTE FOR GULLAH AND AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES EVENTS – FEBRUARY 2021

The Charles Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies examines the historical migration and scattering of African populations to local geographical areas and the subsequent evolution of blended cultures, specifically Gullah. CCU’s location at the northern tip of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor puts it in a unique position for diaspora study and research. The work of the institute provides students with experiential learning opportunities, both at home and abroad, that center on interconnections among local, national, and global peoples and their societies. The Institute is also a catalyst for community involvement.

Register for events here

2021 Black History Month at The Citadel

See a listing of the events and descriptions here

The Why and the How: The Making of the International African American Museum

Tuesday, Feb. 2
3 – 4 p.m.
International African American Museum, 10 Wharfside St., Charleston
Free; closed to the public, open to media

Black History Month Virtual Presentation of the Freedom House Medics

Saturday, Feb. 16
6:30 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom (Meeting ID: 935 7497 9093 | Passcode: 825805)  
Free; open to the public

Discussion of “Denmark Vesey’s Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy”

Thursday, Feb. 18 and Wednesday, Feb 24
3 p.m.
Virtual, via Zoom
Free; open to the public

SC Historical Association Annual Meeting and Conference

Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27
Virtual via Zoom
$30; open to the public

The Black Church Screening Events

Community Drive-In Screening

Community Drive-In Screening
Saturday, February 6 at 6:30 PM

Featuring an advance look at
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s
THE BLACK CHURCH
and SCETV’s
GULLAH ROOTS

Four Mile Community Center
1800 Labor Camp Road
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Join ETV Endowment, South Carolina ETV, The African-American Historic Settlement Community Commission and the Four Mile Community Center as we kick off Black History Month together. From the comfort and safety of our own vehicles, we’ll gather at the Four Mile Community Center to catch an advance glimpse of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG, a moving four-hour, two-part series airing February 16th and 23rd on SCETV. We’ll also watch the original ETV production, GULLAH ROOTS, which follows a group of Gullah Geechee cultural ambassadors from South Carolina and Georgia on a cultural heritage journey to Sierra Leone. Gates will open at 4PM with food trucks and community groups all socially distanced, and the screening will start at 6:30PM. Video and projection provided by Fox Audiovisual.

Space is limited; advance registration is stongly encouraged.
REGISTER HERE

Virtual Opportunities

Sneak Peek: THE BLACK CHURCH
Wednesday, February 10 | 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy selected excerpts from Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s PBS special, THE BLACK CHURCH, as well as a classic ETV documentary, BORN TO REBEL, DRIVEN TO EXCEL, about South Carolina’s own Benjamin Mays. Both a Baptist minister and an educator, Dr. Mays was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement. Space is limited; early reservations are strongly recommended.
Register Now

National WETA Webinar with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Thursday, February 11 | 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy a 15-minute preview of this insightful upcoming PBS special, THE BLACK CHURCH, followed by a live Q&A with key participants, including series host and Executive Producer Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Register Now



About THE BLACK CHURCH: Premiering in February, The BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG reveals the broad history and culture of a living institution in African-American life: the Black church. From enslavement to emancipation, the civil rights struggle to political action at every level of society, explore how African-American faith communities have forged interracial ties and have been on the frontline of uplift and change. THE BLACK CHURCH airs February 16th and 23rd at 9PM on SCETV.

About GULLAH ROOTS: Highlighting the contributions of enslaved Africans to the building of America, the film documents the travelers and the connections they experienced between Gullah Geechee culture and West African traditions. GULLAH ROOTS continues the story that was documented in three previous films about the connections between the Gullah Geechee and Sierra Leone: Family across the Sea, The Language You Cry In, and Priscilla’s Legacy.

February 13th Branch Event: Preserving the Black Family through Records

Join the archival staff at the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture for a discussion on the role of archivists and archives in preserving family histories

When: Saturday, February 13, 2021 via Zoom

Time: 1:00 p.m. EST

Sponsored by the Charleston Area Branch of ASALH and the Charleston Freedom School

Event is free and open to the public

Register

Please use the form below to register for the event or click the link here

College of Charleston’s Department of History Inaugural Black History Month Lecture: Feb. 16, 2021

Please join the Department of History at CofC in welcoming Dr. Douglas Flowe for its inaugural Black History Month Lecture. Dr. Flowe’s lecture is entitled, “Uncontrollable Blackness: African American Men and Criminality in Jim Crow New York.”

Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, this lecture and Q&A will be held online on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 5pm EST. Please register by Feb. 15th here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-month-lecture-dr-douglas-flowe-on-uncontrollable-blackness-tickets-135911146899?fbclid=IwAR1IN8KFpnR8kN-gXbwU7QYzfpF0RvPcd-PjC2Km6p5-HVWwuSNGa72p3EY