Due to issues with the building’s climate control system, the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, will now open a month later than originally scheduled. Originally scheduled to open on January 21, 2023, the museum is now anticipated to open in the first half of 2019.
According to museum officials, “the objects, art, and relics shown at the IAAM are rooted in the history of our ancestors.” “The exhibits depict our history from across the diaspora, from the jug produced by enslaved potter David Drake to Althea Gibson’s tennis racket and a Gullah Geechee boat, we must ensure that the structure satisfies the essential, exacting requirements that a museum requires.”
The museum, which has been in the works for around 20 years, will contain displays on both ancient and modern works of art that examine the historical contributions slaves and their descendants have contributed to culture over the centuries. The museum will concentrate on the contributions made by those from South Carolina out of the 80% of black Americans who can trace their genealogy back to enslaved Africans, according to estimates.
Over 100,000 slaves entered the US through Gadsden’s Wharf between 1783 and 1808, and the $125 million museum is situated there. The museum’s groundbreaking genealogy research library, which strives to assist African American visitors in tracing their ancestry and learning whether their ancestors took the fated journey, is one of its standout features. The library, which is partially accessible online, provides instructions on how to locate birth and death records and locate data on DNA testing for researchers.