The International African American Museum (IAAM) will host a community dedication ceremony celebration at Marion Square on June 24th at 10 am. The event will bring visitors, community, and celebrities together for a live simulcast of the private dedication ceremony taking place at the museum site that morning.
Charlamagne tha God, national radio host of “The Breakfast Club” and South Carolina native, will emcee the community gathering in Marion Square, which will feature remarks from Mayor John Tecklenburg and performances from local and regional talent. A genealogy marketplace to honor the longstanding connection between Barbados and South Carolina will round out the gathering.
In addition to the African American Songbook featuring a 12-piece band, a slate of performers, ranging from musicians to poets, includes:
– Amadou Kouyate, 150th generation of the Kouyate family of Manding Djeli (oral historians / musicians of West Africa)
– BeBe Winans, Gospel and R&B singer, radio host
– Candice Glover, R&B singer, actor
– DJ SCrib, Charleston-based DJ, former Charleston City Paper's “DJ of the Year”
– Jesse Nager, Broadway actor and singer
– Markus Amaker, Charleston Poet Laureate, Academy of American Poets
– Patti Austin, R&B, pop, and jazz singer / songwriter
– Patrice Covington, background singer for Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson
– Ranky Tanky, Grammy award-winning, Charleston-based musical ensemble focused on jazz-influenced arrangements of traditional Gullah and Roots music.
Other attractions for the day include Boeing South Carolina's DreamLearners, set to present interactive programming, while the Barbados Genealogy Marketplace will highlight the multicultural backgrounds of Barbadians by way of food, games, documentaries, and more. The Genealogy Marketplace will honor the long-established connection between Barbados and South Carolina and give guests the opportunity to research their ancestral family line.
Refreshments from Black-owned food trucks will be available onsite. Registration for the community celebration is not required. The event is free and open to the public.
