Ceremony held to bless IAAM grounds

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – An intimate pre-opening ceremony at the International African American Museum (IAAM) was held on Wednesday.

The Blessing of the Water and Sacred Ground took place to honor the grounds the museum stands on. It overlooks the Atlantic passage where thousands of enslaved African Americans entered the country.

“We understand our history and all of the things that have happened here, the trauma and the joy. So blessing is part of our cultural and our spiritual nod to the place that we are honored to build the museum upon,” said Dr. Tonya Matthews, the president and CEO of the IAAM.

The ceremony was conducted by Most Reverend Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, Archbishop of Ghana, Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church of West Africa.

Attendees were invited to walk around the grounds, learn about each section of the museum, pray, and partake in a moment of silence.

“I think it’s a way of opening those stories and lifting ourselves to be able to celebrate and have joy and have conversations and understand the things that this place was about, but also will be about as the museum opens.”

Wednesday evening, a public pre-opening worship service was held at Mount Moriah Baptist Church in North Charleston.

The International African American Museum is set to open on January 23, 2023.