International African American Museum opens on historic site

The new International African American Museum (IAAM) was purposely built on pillars as a means of reconciling the trauma of the site's deep ties to slavery.

The vast institution was constructed on the former Gadsden's Wharf, a pier in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina where about 40% of all enslaved Africans set foot on American soil. It was one of the largest slave ports in the world.

From the concept to planning and finally the opening ceremony on June 22, completing this important cultural space took 20 years — due in part to funding issues, the pandemic and structural problems.

IAAM opens to the public on June 27, 2023.

A slave story of trauma and triumph

The International African American Museum does not present a chronology of events but is designed to "simultaneously hold the sensations of trauma and joy," explained museum director, Tonya Matthews.

Permanent exhibits, dozens of artifacts and more than 30 works of art honor the many thousands of Africans who were forced to leave their homes under barbaric conditions. At the same time, IAAM showcases the significant and important impact people of African background have on all aspects of contemporary US life.

"It's acknowledging that there were communities and civilizations and people that we were taken from," Matthews told CNN. "It's also acknowledging that once we got to where we were, we also began to build communities and civilizations."

The exhibition spaces in the $120 million (€109 million) museum feature both historic tribal and contemporary art, reflecting the work of many generations of artists.

Slaves were renamed

In one room in the museum, black walls are engraved with African names like Wogue, Seesah and Eriyah, along with the person's age. Some slaves were just toddlers when they were forced to make the perilous journey from West Africa crammed into a ship's hold. Many did not survive the grueling journey.

One room over, names are also engraved on walls such as Linda, David and Hardtimes, even if these were the names the slaves were given upon arrival. The names were found in the freight and sales records kept at Gadsden's Wharf, which was built in the 1760s by then-Governor, Christopher Gadsden.

An estimated 100,000 slaves are said to have arrived there. Accessible to all, monuments dedicated to the slaves who landed there and those who did not survive the crossing have been set up at the historic wharf.

Across generations

The Center for Family History is a special highlight. It provides a much needed resource for African-American families: Using sales contracts, property records and other records, people can trace their family history over several generations.

Specialized databases and experienced genealogists are available to help track down the names and histories of relatives. Some searches turn up long-hidden evidence of successful ancestral resistance that has awakened new pride in many a family tree.

This article was originally written in German.