For. Keeping. Good morning and welcome to the grand opening dedication ceremony. Celebration of the internet africanamerican museum in. Charleston, South Carolina. I am so honored be with you this morning. And as i look out into jacksons walk into harbor where over ten 100,000 africans first touched the soil of the United States. America right here where are seated. Its a lot lot. Yes. This location, one of the most prolific slaving warehouses in operation ins in history. But now, today, we reclaimed land and honor. The countless lives lost and enslaved with a monument to our history, our families, our heritage our contributions and our future the waters. The shores here are the same waters that connect us back to africa, the same waters which carried our ancestors and dreams, the hopes and dreams preserved inside the museum above us. And just as the water holds memory and brings alive tide pools behind you ebb and flow across the shadows. Those who did not make it beyond this site, but who will never be forgotten. The tears of our ancestors is carried by the waves still wash upon these shores, but today may they find comfort in our reverence and compassion and in the knowledge that their stories are heard. The memories contained in these stones. These these grasses are the soil are now forever set free to be recognized and honored. The internation African American museum may have taken over 20 years to design and build. But lets face it, it was centuries in the making. Thousands of u. S. We know that our africanamerican heritage certainly predates american slavery and oppression, the honest history and truth will now be shared openly, freely. And yes, we have come a long way as a society we have and as a country, but we still have a ways to go and a lot of growing to do as a as a nation and as Global Community. South carolina is very, to me, it is the birthplace of my mother, her siblings her parents, her grandparents. They were all born and educated here in South Carolina. And im proud to be part of a lineage of people who have offered service through our here service as Community Service as educators, service as medical professionals, service legislators, South Carolina is home. And i love being in South Carolina. Its humbling to stand where countless dreams never it past this point and. Its our responsibility not just to carry those dreams for a better future, but to take action and make tomorrow, better than today. Welcome to the Opening Celebration dedication of the international African American museum, where today is better than yesterday. And now to sing the national anthem, please welcome four time grammy, me and ten time dove winner, r b gospel vocalist, composer and producer bebe. And singing lift every and sing r b and gospel vocalist Candice Glover winner of the 12th season of american and a native of buford, South Carolina staff staff. Thank you you. And. Oh say hi to u. S. By the doors and shirley im so high holy had had to twilight rise to whose broad stripes and bright. Through the pair of rolaids. Hi or the red ramparts we wanted were so kind at least. And i had kids red clay and their moms in they gave food through the night time that i fly across still that. Oh say does that star. Banner yet hooray. They even or no let and dont crack hand oh oh her her birthday they. Lifted weve said dancing to love and never we bring with the humble honey other play bertie let courage youre chasing rise high as the listening skies let it reside down loud as the roar see we sing sing i saw full of the faith that the dog passed as time does sing begun song for the whole that the president has brought. I us facing the. Sun of a new day may be begun. Let us march young to victory we is one time god of all. Is god of the sun live in tears. The who has brought us for on the. Day those who have brought us by mind . Let no slaves who the lie they keep us for ever in the pen of we pray. Sing another song who love the faith at the dark past as taught us sing the song for love the that the and has brought. Facing the right rising sun a new day be gun. Let us my shine till victory. Is a white. Let us march our till victory we is why why. Please welcome founder of, the Advocacy Organization for the continuation of gullah geechee culture, the galaxy Island Coalition and the first queen mother and official Spokes Person for the dollar geechee nation queen quest. Oh oh three yo whoa oh. 0003. Home. Whoa oh. 003000 bow, we we hunt before we b1 us slaves we acquire be bearing we grapes and wine oh two we go and beef. Three this day. And our children have been awesome come in. Oh, ancestors been no. Shouts you know within us and thats not how you feel when come out to l. A. Never know what the the evil magic i think you all jeezy mendy damnit he freak he bvr had no say this you did an accordion and leave a day up i got some loft you know he sat me on the six not me even a i know i make a good so this you preschool confidentially i stamp on this yes we said well we asked us to the middle that anything like that it and get your yes it was we said i said. Gee that was still day and not say we had a video we aint got nowhere to dog who needs got to get she invited people this yesterday we passed and we sat. All for the chill and out you what i we who i know what do you want let us see cause they are standing up and yeah about no separate but yeah but the people who and the great always rise up if i be free this there for them chill we pull and well its that. If violence you that i still about to learn what are we to yeah no yeah we didnt like i let him we give thanks for him. What what a deal. When we first started shopping back in 2000, you know what we been i mean so we built a for store doesnt think why i do what did up inside yes spirit what did it in esquire. Com we have it time to try to beat we down and see this giant being or media yesterday and we dare we dont quite retreat i see we sat there for answers this was still in the ouch on anyone unless. You harbor a whole business start to show off me. Our spirit rest is dead cut the chilling yeah he didnt know that the. Hey, you know, i was. I know who i am. Im. You know who . Yes see, i am. I am, i am, i am. I, i am, i. And this shot, did we all say i say and let it shot see . Yeah, man. Oh, free. No. Oh, oh. Freed oh, oh. Three oh, oh. Bobby. Id be oh, id be on. I say i to be buried in my grave and wine for some i go, oh god honeybee free press god hallelujah. I am, i am. Please welcome Senior Pastor of Saint Mark Methodist Church and taylors, South Carolina, former president of the National Black clergy of the United Methodist. Reverend telly. My name is reverend tele. Lynnette gadson. My brand is t and my social media handle hashtag right pastor t and im actually the district superintendent and chief missional strategist of the heartwarming hartsville district at the South Carolina annual conference of United Methodist church. Bishop l. Jonathan holston is our episcopal leader for. The past two years i have been blessed to be servant leader for 101 churches served by 71 pastors covering six counties from the midlands to the peddie. But dont let the taste fool you. I am a gullah geechee girl for from hollywood south. And it is an honor to be here today. I am a child of god, a daughter of the divine and my chosen savior is jesus christ. Freedom o, freedom, freedom over me. And before ill be a slave, ill be buried yonder grave and go home to my lord and be free freedom the epitome, the faith of our mothers and fathers living still and even those beckoned to the balconies of heaven that great of freedom fighters, us who endowed us with dew of their morning after weeping through the nights of terror and torment, yet freedom now sometimes faint freedom faith is loud and clear freedom to freedom to serve freedom to love, freedom to live when others say die because this freedom from us sky beyond the chaos and clutter of classism, racism, sex ism, and even whose sleeping with who ism there freedom this space, this place, this long awaited vision now manifested right before our retinas, no cataracts today retinas we might retain the sights and sounds of freedom, this haven of humanity is the sanctuary of solace, this retreat of righteousness this edifice of education in this traverse for transformation, this foundation for freedom, the international or africanamerican museum is alive. It is well, is marvelous in our eyes. I so blessed that my two precious parents are featured in the museum, the honorable herbert getz and first black mayor of hollywood, South Carolina missionary linda dingo. Gaps in the first black woman to graduate from the college of charleston hallelujah. Can any good come out of hollywood i am evidence. This is freedom space. It is freedoms fierceness. It is freedoms formidable fabulousness, but not without the struggle of freedoms fight. The plight of slaverys nights, daughters of destiny and sons of strength, children yet born brought to these east coast shores, waterways as a way from the ivory coast, fortified by powers be who never really. People in high places doing Little Things fortified by bona fide highway robbers, trafficking, segregation, harboring jim jane crow and their children gods children. Giving George Wallace and his cousins lift rides queen daughters and kings exiled by the espionage of greed. But to perpetrate orders didnt realize that it was a seed planted the depths of the soil, the soil of toil, freedoms womb, where martin learned to dance and even to march, where rosa got the indignation to park, where barbara saw herself crossing jordan, where dorothy imagined new heights, where barack learned to and kamala her victory dance, where moses exodus plates with darrell stop it couldnt block it couldnt veto it couldnt filibuster it. Even with having tantrums couldnt muster a fight not for this freedom or freedom we pray this day as we pray every our father who art in heaven, our mother who art in nature so very instruments of our freedom. It is evident here, everywhere, founded grounded by our freedoms, faith here we are standing on gods promises. Our god and the god of our liberation, the god of weary years, the god of our silent tears, our god freedom fighter, our freedom giver, our freedom redeemer. Let us never forget the passion, the pride, the purpose and the priesthood of our freedom. Thank you, dear father. Thank you, mother. Thank you, dear god. Freedoms dear t the one who promised to be everything we would ever need from a Amazing Grace to every blessed assurance come now to our of every blessing come to freedoms fountain the International AfricanMuseum Ground for the free from my mothers handmedowns to my fathers pick me i come this day i come walking by faith sight sometimes dim but i to bless this place proud of my. The one of my skin and the one that i run within. I am liberation, equity and the real estate of my own faith, the substance of things hopeful and the of things not seen. I come blessed to free to free my intact looking up to thee for now and, for always freedom. Oh, freedom, freedom. Bless me. And before ill a slave, ill be buried in yonder grave and go home to my father, the author and finisher, a freedom and be free a man i say it is so, so be it i agree a man. Please welcome live from marion square, member of the International Africanamerican museum board and mayor of charleston, carolina. Since 2016, near john taplin berg. Glen. Let me hear it. Are we ready o fellow ins honored guests and friends all im deeply honored to be with you this morning and celebrate portion of the opening of the International Africanamerican museum and of the long, tragic but ultimately hopeful story that it tells for what could be more hopeful, more outrage. Justly unbelievably in firing than the of a people who loved the dream america the dream of a place on earth where all men are created equal with god given rights and the dignity of democracy, and that people refuse defiantly to stop dreaming that dream, and as if it was cruelly as it was cruelly denied to friends. We stand here today in all of that story and in solidarity with generations of africanamericans whove lived it, lived that story. Africanamericans who suffered the torture, slavery, the betrayal of reconstruction, the terror of, jim crow, the unfairness business of civil rights, african, who transformed pain into excellence in every field of human endeavor from the yards, business to science and more africanamericans who face their oppressors with and dignity and grace on city busses, at lunch counters, on a bridge, selma and a hospital all right here in charleston. And who in so doing rekindled the promise america for men and, women all over the world of. Course we charleston eons both white and black know that story because its our story. Every tragedy every triumph, every whip of the lash and every small, halting step towards progress. Those are our moments, our past and our present etched into the details of every Historic Building you see and the lives in the chambers of human heart. That is why that is why its so fitting and so vitally important that we host museum that tells that story here in charleston right, here where it happened and where we can all witness to the heartbreak but yes, the hope that is its legacy. In closing id like to offer my deepest thanks everyone who worked so hard to bring this magnet new Building Museum to life. Your tireless efforts over more than years have made this day possible in your vision of a great building and a great city where people of every background can share and discover this deeply moving, deeply american story of a dream. Yes. Denied and deferred, but never forsaken. This dream will inspire the world for generations to come. Thank you. God bless you. And god bless the city of charleston and all her people. Thank you. God. And now, please welcome, the president and chief executive of the international African American museum in charleston, South Carolina, dr. Tonya. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You have a notice. Im going to start with. Thank you. Some some really important shout outs. First to the team at the museum. Family is given its its a blessing its sent to you but teams are chosen and the international African American museum team has chosen well and it is my honor and privilege to lead us. Thank yall to the members of the board who have supported and this team. Thank you to all the pastors and, the congregations, the rabbis, imams and any of faithful who have prayed for us in any way. Especially if you prayed away todays rain. Thank you to all the dignitaries, the diaspora who have come here to celebrate with us today. Thank you to all the donors charter members and supporters from 2 million to 2. Thank you to the advisors and builders to the shouters and whisperers to the gentle and the sharp tongans who in meeting after, meeting after meeting after, meeting after meeting to bring us to this moment in this way. Thank you to all. Who answered the call to be with us today. What up . Marion square. Thank you. The ancestors. Thank you to my mommy. To my daddy. To my family. To my god. Thank you. The mission of the International Africanamerican museum is to honor the stories of the African American journey at one of our nations most sacred sites. And we are here to place African American story in its full context from 300 bce to 2023 and counting. We are here today at this site to reclaim a piece of the site of gladstones wharf and reimagine it as a space to tell one of the greatest stories of human struggle and triumph of all time. We are here honor the untold story of the African American journey. Untold, unspoken hidden refuse denied, erased and buried. Hmm. Buried the challenge were trying bury a story. Is that story. These are seeds. And sprout gentle as roses that might invite you to lean in. They sprout as determined as dandelions that will break the cracks in your concrete seed sprout as relentless li as vines that will climb a wall no matter the height as unmatched, a bowl as a saguaro, cactus blooming in sun, so that it would instantly wither a lesser plant seeds that sprout powerfully and connected as trees that have survived generation after generation hurricane and still remember to reach across the way and connect to the branches of their sister and brother oaks. These stories, our stories, this history is seed and it has been germinating for century. Let me tell a bit about what you looking at. What is surrounding us and i like those from afar to imagine zen with me. You are looking ingenuity. If youre in front of me right now, look at your feet. That is not just concrete. That is tabby. Tabby made by burning oyster shells to create lime and mashing them with water and sand, ash and broken shells. All of the that you would find at the coast. And when i looked up tabby in the encyclopedia to try to find out more it simply said tabbys origin is african but unstudied. Hmm. You are looking heritage to my right and to my left. We have replicas of what gates that adorn building a butterfly, a fish. Now, there. Once was a man called Philip Simmons. Mm hmm. Now, Philip Simmons was a master blacksmith, but they are not. They are created. They are tart. Starting at the age of 13. Mr. Simmons learned from peter simmons, a former slave. And before simmons left us, he passed on to his nephew, carlton simmons. And those are the gates that you are looking at. You are looking at heri