When the remains of 36 African-descended individuals were unearthed during the 2013 remodeling of the Gaillard Center, so were a mountain of other questions: Who were these people? How did they come to be buried here? and most importantly—What are their stories?
Working with College of Charleston students, partners at Brockington and Associates and a Backpack Journalist, this exhibition explores cultural legacies by documenting research and field work currently underway at locations throughout Charleston and the Lowcountry. This includes documentary photographs by renowned photographer Leonard Freed taken during the Civil Rights era that capture burial and religious practices on Johns Island, and other iconic images of South Carolina and the Southeastern United States. This exhibit, curated by The Gullah Society, draws parallels between our lives today and the influence of those who came before us. Through art, DNA and archaeological research, community conversations, and educational programming, the Gullah Society hopes to reconcile the past while illuminating what the discovery means for African descendants and those living in Charleston today.
On Saturday 28th April at 1-3pm College of Charleston students curated a fashion show at the City Gallery. The students created this show as part of Gullah Society Director and Professor, Dr. Ade Ofunnyin's Yoruba Culture and Lowcountry Connections class.