The legacies of slavery have been long and enduring in Charleston and the greater Lowcountry, perpetuating and mutating in the grotesque manifestations of white supremacy. Despite the visible and invisible barriers to social, political, and economic advancement, Black Charlestonians have resisted their treatment as second-class citizens. Resistance has been a constant theme in African American history in Charleston, and the sites of this tour reveal some of the different forms of individual and collective resistance to racial injustice.

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.