International African American Museum to Open in Charleston in January 2023

The International African American Museum (IAAM) will open on January 21, 2023, in Charleston, South Carolina, after over 20 years of planning and construction. The museum is located at Gadsden's Wharf on the Cooper River, the historic port where enslaved Africans were brought to America. President and CEO Tonya M. Matthews states the museum honors the millions of Africans forced across the Atlantic and their descendants who shaped the world. The building, designed by Harry Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, is a one-story structure raised on columns, surrounded by the African Ancestors Memorial Garden featuring a large overflow fountain and African flora. The permanent collection includes artifacts from enslaved people, books, and documents tracing Black emancipation and civil rights, notably a signed first edition of Booker T. Washington's "Up from Slavery." The museum will host temporary art exhibitions, workshops, and seminars. It also houses the Center for Family History, which helps African Americans trace their genealogy to Africa using the museum's archives and research in African archives. A school program is being developed to educate younger generations about their roots and overcome racial prejudices.