The new International African American Museum in Charleston, SC is home to a number of new collections on the history of Black Americans. The museum documents the journey of Africans to America that occurred centuries ago, and still continues today. The museum’s entrance includes the African Ancestors Memorial Garden that sprawls across the grounds and reflects on the significance of the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf—where alongside several others in the Charleston Harbor—an estimated 40% of African captives entered this country. Inside, exhibitions tell the dynamic story of the international African American experience. The Museum is home to the Center for Family History, a groundbreaking resource for the study and advancement of African American genealogy, with connections to Africa and the African diaspora. Information on the Museum is here: https://iaamuseum.org/the-museum/.

Founded in 1865 as the Avery Normal Institute, the Avery Research Center originally served as a community hub, providing education and advocacy for the growing Charleston African American community and training Blacks for professional careers and leadership roles. The modern rebirth of Avery began in 1985 with the establishment of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston. The newly christened center came to fruition through a memorandum of understanding between the former Avery Institute and the College, with many of the charter members graduates of the original Avery Normal Institute. For the last thirty years, the Avery Research Center has collected art and archival materials that document the history, traditions, and legacies of African Americans and their influence on American society and culture, as well as their place within the American narrative. Oprah Winfrey scholars are invited to attend.