The museum is dedicated to telling their important stories and celebrating the rich cultural contributions of their descendants. In the works for over twenty years, the museum’s design intent was to create an environment that honors the site’s history while supporting an array of exhibitions, events, and educational resources.
Free and open to the public, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden on the exterior of the museum is a space for reflection and dialogue, connecting past to present and future. Considering the sacred ground for the museum site, the architecture of the building is raised above the memorial to give it the separate space it requires.
Designed as a transitional moment from the grounds to the exhibits, museum visitors enter a luminous atrium at the center of the building, moving from shadow to light as they ascend the monumental stairs. On the upper level, large windows at both ends frame unobstructed views of the former Gadsden’s Wharf and Charleston. Being surrounded by the power of this place offers visitors a sense of connection to the site’s history and exhibit content, deepening the experience to make it all feel more impactful and transformative.
The museum’s exhibition themes include connections across the African diaspora, the spread of African American culture and influence, and the movements for justice and equality. The narrative flow of the installations were planned around the architecture, with an introductory corridor and orientation theater leading to multimedia displays of South Carolina and Gullah Geechee culture, African roots, and the Atlantic world.
Exhibits, such as the American Journeys gallery, offer artifacts and works of art juxtaposed with engaging media presentations related to the legacies of slavery and current movements for racial equality. Embedded with powerful stories of tragedy, cultural and personal resilience, and community, the exhibits at the International African American Museum bring history to life while encouraging contemporary connections and conversations.
Empowering visitors to explore lineage and heritage, the Center for Family History provides a resource for the study and advancement of African American genealogy, offering a unique collection of primary sources. The entire museum experience seeks to bring a world view to the African and African American story while emphasizing the importance of South Carolina and its history and fostering personal connections to exhibit content.
To develop the interpretive scope of IAAM, it was important to involve not only the museum’s leadership and curators, but also the local community and scholarly advisors to ensure history and personal experience were being accurately told while maintaining sensitivities around historical topics and presenting an inclusive perspective. For instance, the Gullah Geechee gallery features films that were produced in close collaboration with members of the local Gullah Geechee community who provided invaluable insight into their experience.
The International African American Museum is not only a vital source of information and sharing the untold stories of the African and African American experience, but also a communal place for contemplation and understanding, cultivating the opportunity for individual and social growth.
The New York Times wrote: “If such a museum expands the parameters of history, and this one does, that’s a lot. Which, I guess, is why I ended up on a visit awarding it my sincerest accolade: At closing time I didn’t want to leave.”
Partners
- RAA: Aki Carpenter & Melanie Ide (Project Oversight)
RAA: Luka Kito (Project Director)
RAA: Rio Valledor (Project Manager)
RAA: Mary Battle (Lead Content Developer)
RAA: Larnies Bowen (Content Developer)
RAA: Megan Kerman (Art Director)
RAA: Maria Alma Guede (Visual Designer) - Company: Technical Artistry (Lighting design)
Company: Johnson Controls Inc. (AV Control and System)
Company: Solomon Group (Exhibit Fabrication)
Company: Cortina Productions (Multimedia Design and Production)
Company: Sharon Shahid (Script Writing)