Opening of IAAM celebrated with dedication ceremony

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The 23 years it took to open the doors of the International African American Museum were commemorated on Saturday with a dedication ceremony.

The International African American Museum will open its doors to the public on Tuesday.

“Ladies and gentlemen, brothers, and sisters. The seeds have been planted. Let us till this soil. Welcome to the international African American Museum,” said IAAM President and CEO Dr. Tonya Matthews.

The event took place on the sacred grounds where the museum stands. It featured musical performances, dancers, and prayer – all nodding to the African culture symbolized inside the IAAM.

Esteemed actress and director, Phylicia Rashad, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies. She shared the stage with a long line-up of notable leaders and public figures who played a part in the museum’s making.

“The waters touching the shores here are the same waters that connect us back to Africa,” Rashad said to the crowd.

Former President Barack and Michelle Obama shared a few remarks in a video.

Meanwhile, the name on nearly every speaker’s lips was Joe Riley. The longtime Charleston mayor proposed the idea of the museum in 2000.

“This museum will tell history, where history took place, at Gadsden’s Wharf, the sacred site where we are gathered together today,” Former Mayor Riley said. “This powerful museum will teach us and inspire us to build a better future.”

Other speakers included South Carolina State Representative JA Moore, Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and Congressman James Clyburn, as well as many others.