African American Heritage Day Festival

Event Details

From its roots in Africa to its branches in the Caribbean, the Americas, and especially South Carolina, elementary and middle school students will be immersed in African American culture and history through a variety of activities including demonstrations, reenactments, performances and hands-on experiences.

Events will take place from 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on February 22, and students will have the opportunity to visit each exhibit area throughout the day.

Registration fees are $8 per student. One chaperone per every eight students receives free admission. Pre-registration is required to participate in this event.


Capoeira
Enjoy a demonstration of this unique and thriving art form that serves as a symbol for the West and Central African cultural contributions to the nation of Brazil.

African Dance
Discover the art of African danc, and enjoy a traditional African dance performance, accompanied by the rhythmic musical sounds of traditional African drumming.

Rice & Indigo
Enjoy an engaging interpretive program that demonstrates the major contributions of enslaved African workers to historic rice and indigo cultivation in South Carolina.

Sierra Leone
Through dance, music, and language, discover the Trans-Atlantic connections between the West African nation of Sierra Leone and African-American communities along South Carolina's coast.

54th Massachusetts
Experience an interactive drill and living history encampment that demonstrates the legacy of the 54th Massachusetts, a regiment of African-American volunteer infantry who fought for the Union Army at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner.

Storyteller
Enjoy an interpretation of Gullah Geechee life and culture guided by an interactive storyteller.

Sweetgrass Basketry
Join a basket artist to discuss South Carolina's legacy of sweetgrass basketry, the oldest craft of African origin in the United States.