July 5, 2023 – The International African American Museum (IAAM) officially opened to the public on Tuesday, June 27, after over 20 years of planning, welcoming guests and community members inside to learn the full story of the African American journey. Located at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf, IAAM’s nine distinct galleries demonstrate how enslaved and free Africans shaped economic, political, and cultural development throughout the nation and beyond, while offering an insider’s look at the close connections to the renowned culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
“After decades of planning and hard work, we were thrilled to officially open IAAM to the public earlier this week,” said Dr. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of IAAM. “Thank you for waiting several centuries for this moment to honor the untold story of the African American people. We welcome everyone to visit us at IAAM — to simultaneously hold the sensations of trauma and joy that are woven together throughout our exhibitions and feel something that is akin to everything. Our stories, our history — they are seeds, and seeds sprout. They have been planted and germinating for hundreds of years, and now we till the soil.”