Resiliency: Stories Shared At The International African Museum

This week, the International African American Museum (IAAM) opened in Charleston, South Carolina. The evolution of a dream envisioned by legendary Charleston Former Mayor Joe Riley is its own case study in resilience. Above and beyond that story, lauded at the opening celebrations, are the incomparable stories of the African American people.

The Gadsden’s Wharf location where IAAM stands in quiet dignity is the site where 45% of Africans entered the United States to begin a brutally horrific existence.  How can I, a privileged White person, even have the audacity to describe the atrocities and triumphs of African Americans? I cannot, and have no right to do so. I can merely open my heart and mind to learn.

The exquisite presentations at IAAM are elegant and powerful. IAAM is a place where stories are told feeling all at once as if you are listening to an elder recount an unfathomable tale and at the same time witnessing monumental artistic achievements portraying the pain and glory of human existence.

Listening and learning is simply a beginning, and only that if we do nothing in our own lives to affect change. I am in awe of African American humans who withstood the most despicable circumstances, raising their voices in song and prayer from the Praise Houses, fields, and onwards as beacons of resiliency. We must know the real stories and continue to repair our world because of them.

To learn more about the magnificent IAAM visit: iaamuseum.orgHonor The Untold Stories of the African American Journey – IAAM

Linda Joy Walder