Trauma, Truth, and Triumph: The Story of Charleston's International African American Museum

Description

Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum (IAAM), will give a talk titled "Trauma, Truth, and Triumph: The Story of Charleston's International African American Museum." Located at the historically sacred Gadsden's Wharf—where an estimated 40% of enslaved Africans first set foot in America—the IAAM opened in June 2023 and stands as a powerful tribute to resilience, remembrance, and reclamation.

In this virtual talk, Matthews will guide attendees through the IAAM's mission of authentic, empathetic storytelling and its groundbreaking Center for Family History—a resource that brings buried African American genealogies to light through archives, oral histories, webinars, and one-on-one consultations. Drawing from her unique background as a poet, engineer, and equity visionary, Matthews will share how trauma can be transformed into truth, and truth into triumph, as the IAAM continues to disrupt institutionalized racism and uplift individual and collective narratives.

This event is hosted by Hopkins at Home.