Today, Blackbaud held a press conference at the future site of the International African American Museum on Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, S.C. to announce they will be donating $1 million to the building and construction of this highly anticipated and controversial project. Blackbaud intends on sponsoring the Digital Media Lab portion of the museum, which will bring the museum experience “outside of its four walls.” Here, visitors will be able to trace their family origins, research their ancestry, and record their own stories.
Since 40 percent of African- Americans have ancestors that were captured and sold through Gadsden’s Wharf during the Middle Passage aka, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and 80 percent of African-Americans have roots through the port of Charleston, the museum aims to “re-center” S.C.’s place in global history.
With the construction of this museum, the city still has many questions left unanswered. The questions include the impact on many of those in the African-American community who are concerned about this turning into a fun-loving tourist attraction, instead of an accurate testament to those who lived and died while living in slavery in the United States. Also, questions arise as to why museum officials have not included some of our well-known, well-versed and qualified Charlestonians who are already doctorates of history, and teachers / professors who have taught our history around the country, to ensure the “real” story will be told, and not the sugar-coated, tourist version of OUR STORIES.
We will save our concerns for another post. In the meantime, check out Blackbaud’s press release for details.
Source: Blackbaud
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