The International African American Museum (IAAM) is a museum of African-American history in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, located at a former shipping wharf where approximately 40% of the nation's enslaved persons disembarked. The museum opened June 27, 2023, after 20 years of planning.

Conception and construction

The idea of the museum was initiated by former Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. The city had previously sold the land to a restaurateur, but after construction on the site discovered traces of Gadsden's Wharf, Riley decided to repurchase the land. The construction budget of the museum is $75 million. Riley raised money for the project as a private citizen. The $25 million private donation goal was met in 2018. The South Carolina General Assembly delayed a $25 million contribution to the project, which delayed construction of the 40,000-square-foot facility. The city of North Charleston donated $1 million to the project. Keith Sumney, the mayor of North Charleston, stated that he hoped the museum would include an exhibit on Liberty Hill, a historically black neighborhood in North Charleston. The design architect is Harry Cobb, of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, working in collaboration with Moody Nolan architectural firm of Columbus, Ohio; the exhibition designer is Ralph Appelbaum Associates and the landscape designer is

Walter Hood Walter J. Hood (born 1958) is an American designer, artist, academic administrator, and educator. He is professor of landscape architecture & environmental planning and urban design and chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture & Environm ...

, of Oakland, California. The museum was built on the Cooper River, with a view towards

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

and out to the Atlantic Ocean. Its first CEO was Michael B. Moore. The museum opened in 2023 with presentations made at the dedication ceremony by former Charleston mayors Joseph P. Riley Jr and John Tecklenburg, Phylicia Rashad, Congressman Jim Clyburn, State Senator Darrell Jackson, State Representative JA Moore, gospel singer Bebe Winans, poet Nikky Finney, anthropologist Johnnetta Cole, former

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

Administrator Charles Bolden, IAAM President Dr. Tonya Matthews and others.

References

External links

International African American Museum
{{Coord, 32, 47, 19, N, 79, 55, 34, W, display=title 2023 establishments in South Carolina African-American history in Charleston, South Carolina African-American museums in South Carolina Civil rights movement museums Museums established in 2023 Museums in Charleston, South Carolina