Africa to South Carolina
New Museum Links Africa to America
I
n Charlestown, South Carolina, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden at the International African American Museum, which opens in 2022, sits on the site of Gadsden’s Wharf where enslaved Africans were brought after enduring the Middle Passage. Designed by MacArthur Fellowship recipient Walter Hood, the garden has “hush harbors,” echoing the secret landscapes where enslaved people gathered to celebrate their culture and keep their traditions alive.
A Journey of Centuries This museum is about a journey that began centuries ago in Africa, and still continues. It is about the journey of millions of Africans, captured and forced across the Atlantic in the grueling and inhumane Middle Passage, who arrived at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina and other ports in the Atlantic World. Their labor, resistance and ingenuity and that of their descendants shaped every aspect of our world. History Comes Alive The museum will sit on the shoulders of 18 strong columns. On the ground level, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden will highlight the original shoreline—the exact spot where so many captive Africans first set foot in America. There will be gardens for quiet contemplation, as well as space for performances and programs. Take a visual tour of the new museum and enjoy Walter Hood’s description of the Memorial Garden at: https:// iaamuseum.org/museum. www.travelandleisure.com Image credit: The New York Times, treasurechestofmemories. com, charlestonchronicle.net
Middle Passage 52 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021
