Slavery and its Legacies: Sites of Care and Community
Tour Description
The places highlighted in this tour reveal the myriad ways that Black Charlestonians cared for each other. Sites of education, social and medical institutions, and religious organizations illustrate some of the many ways in which the African American community created social support systems on their own, stepping in when the city and state failed to provide Black residents with the services similar to those offered to white ones.
This tour was developed in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston. In Spring 2020, graduate students in Dr. Rachel Donaldson’s History 590 crafted 5 thematic tours focusing on the history of slavery and its enduring legacies in the city of Charleston. Using the College of Charleston as the center, the tours move outward from the campus in a radius of eight blocks or less to the north, south, east, and west to sites that reveal stories of community endurance, resistance, fellowship, and agency. While we emphasized sites and structures that remain visible in the built environment, we also uncovered the stories of sites that have been lost over time. Our work, as we see it, is part of current efforts to uncover, document, and interpret the history and legacy of slavery on the cultural landscape.
Locations for Tour
Shaw Orphan Asylum, 16 George Street
Immaculate Conception School, 200 Coming Street
The Shaw Community Center, 20 Mary Street
St. Katherine Convent, 51 Society Street
East Side Neighborhood
Jenkins Orphanage and Jenkins Orphanage Band, 20 Franklin Street
Cannon Street Hospital, 135 Cannon Street
The United Order of Tents, 73 Cannon Street
Tour Postscript
This project was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Slavery’s Public History Working Group and by the 250th Anniversary Historical Documentation Committee, with additional support from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), the Department of History, the Graduate School, and the College’s department of Marketing and Communications.Research and Publication Assistance provided by Harlan Greene, Julia Eichelberger, Rachel Donaldson, Aaisha Haykal, Grayson Harris, Noah Dubois, Barry Stiefel, and Mary Jo Fairchild. Special thanks for images and permissions provided by Historic Charleston Foundation, Catholic Diocese of Charleston, Charleston Museum, Addlestone Library’s Special Collections, the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, and C of C’s Department of Marketing and Communications.
Website Curator: Grayson Harris
This site will be updated as new information becomes available. If you have additional images or information to contribute to this tour, please contact us at discoveringourpast-group@cofc.edu.