EXPLORING THE BLACK AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

After more than 20 years of planning, the International African American Museum will open on January 21. Standing on the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina—once one of the country’s busiest slave trading ports, where nearly half of all enslaved Africans entered the U.s.—the 150,000-square-foot museum explores the culture, diverse journeys, achievements and experiences of Africans in the Americas. Nine exhibition galleries will focus on the African diaspora, the impact of African American culture and influence on U.S. history, the fight for abolition and movements for justice and equality, flanked outside by a large reflecting pool and the African Ancestors Memorial Garden, designed by landscape architect Walter Hood. The real gem for many, however, may be the personal connections found at the museum’s Center for Family History: Troves of historical documents and access to the world’s largest genealogy databases will enable visitors to trace their family history, contribute their own photos and documents and better understand the lives of past relatives.