International African American Museum announces plans for community dedication ceremony

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The International African American Museum has announced plans for its community dedication ceremony celebration in Marion Square beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 24. The event, presented by Boeing, will bring visitors, community and celebrities together for a live simulcast of the private dedication ceremony taking place at the museum site that morning.

South Carolina native Charlamagne tha God, national radio host of The Breakfast will emcee the gathering, 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,a member of the Kouyate family of Manding Djeli, who are oral historians and musicians of West Africa; gospel and R&B singer BeBe Winans; R&B singer and actor Candice Glover; Charleston-based DJSCrib; Broadway actor and singer Jesse Nager; Charleston poet laureate Markus Amaker; singer and songwriter Patti Austin; Patrice Covington, a background singer for Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and Charleston-based musical ensemble Ranky Tanky, who perform 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.