Podcasts about charlestonians

Amidst the financial doldrums that followed the American Civil War, Charlestonians struggled to reconstruct their politics, rebuild their economy, and repair a neglected streetscape. Budget constraints compelled officials of the late 1860s and 1870s to perpetuate old-fashioned paving habits and to recycle outdated materials, but a few novel additions to the public right-of-way cheered the spirits of local drivers, pedestrians, and velocipedestrians.

Charleston's cobblestone streets fascinate residents and visitors alike, inspiring visions of pirates and horse-drawn carriages rattling through ye olde colonial capital. Imported from Europe as ship ballast since the 1670s, these roundish stones provided the city's earliest street covering, but the campaign to pave local thoroughfares with cobbles didn't commence until the early 1800s. To better understand the traveling conditions endured by early Charlestonians, let's take a stroll through paving history from colonial times to the American Civil War.

 Jason Male is a bartender at SNOB in Charleston. SNOB stands for Slightly North of Broad, and it's one of the bastions of Charleston's restaurants Jason talks about how he keeps it fresh, what Charlestonians love to drink, and new American gin. Jason Male, on the Hidden F&B Charleston.

Charlestonians got their first taste of Hawaiian culture in December 1901, when a band of Pacific Islanders represented the newly-acquired territory at the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition. Local audiences were entranced by their mellifluous songs and the rhythmic gestures of scantily-clad hula dancers swaying to curious sounds produced by strumming ukeleles and guitars played in a most unconventional manner. After performing for segregated audiences—Black and White—in the Palmetto City, the roving Hawaiians trekked inland to impart a lasting influence on the vernacular music of the American South.

Phebe Fletcher was an intriguing woman of eighteenth-century Charleston whose unconventional lifestyle earned both derision and respect from her neighbors. Born to a respectable family of unknown origin, she was allegedly “seduced” from the bounds of traditional feminine “virtue” and obliged to associate with “vicious” persons, Black and White, to forge an independent career in a patriarchal society. She acquired a colorful reputation as a woman of dubious morals, but Charlestonians long remembered and praised the benevolent care she rendered to ailing soldiers during the American Revolution.

Denmark Vesey, a carpenter and formerly enslaved person, allegedly planned an enslaved insurrection to coincide with Bastille Day in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822. Vesey modeled his rebellion after the successful 1791 slave revolution in Haiti. His plans called for his followers to execute the white enslavers, liberate the city of Charleston, and then sail to Haiti before the white power structure could retaliate. Vesey and several of his co-conspirators worshiped at the African Church, the AME congregation which became Mother Emanuel after the Civil War. Along with white abolitionists in the North, Vesey referenced the Bible in his attacks on the institution of slavery. In the aftermath of the execution, white Charlestonians tore down the church and supported new efforts to control the black majority. Funds were appropriated to support a Municipal Guard of 150 men and the construction of "a Citadel" to house them and weapons. In 1843, the structure became home to the cadets of the South Carolina Military Academy. Additionally, as Vesey's rebellion relied on assistance from free black sailors, South Carolina passed legislation known as the Negro Seamen Acts. The act called for the incarceration of visiting free black sailors in local jails while their vessel remained in Charleston to eliminate contact between free black sailors from outside of South Carolina and black Charlestonians. Despite protests from northern states and British consuls, South Carolina stubbornly insisted on its right to police its population in this way. Denmark Vesey was later held up as a hero among abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, during the Civil War. Douglass used Vesey's name as a rallying cry in recruiting and inspiring African American troops, including the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. Vesey's son, Robert, attended the April 14, 1865 ceremony at Fort Sumter. Today, however, his name remains largely unknown despite his foundational role in accelerating further slave rebellions and ultimately the civil war itself. We discuss why this is the case and what lessons can be learned from this story.   To support this podcast, join our patreon for early episode access at www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac For more information and updates, visit www.poorproles.com and subscribe to our e-mail list. For the supplemental reader that goes along with the podcast, visit: https://poorprolesalmanac.substack.com   Sources: Jeremy Schipper “Denmark Vesey's Bible” https://userpages.umbc.edu/~bouton/History407/SlaveStats.htm https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/defining-charlestons-free-people-color

Denmark Vesey, a carpenter and formerly enslaved person, allegedly planned an enslaved insurrection to coincide with Bastille Day in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822. Vesey modeled his rebellion after the successful 1791 slave revolution in Haiti. His plans called for his followers to execute the white enslavers, liberate the city of Charleston, and then sail to Haiti before the white power structure could retaliate. Vesey and several of his co-conspirators worshiped at the African Church, the AME congregation which became Mother Emanuel after the Civil War. Along with white abolitionists in the North, Vesey referenced the Bible in his attacks on the institution of slavery. In the aftermath of the execution, white Charlestonians tore down the church and supported new efforts to control the black majority. Funds were appropriated to support a Municipal Guard of 150 men and the construction of "a Citadel" to house them and weapons. In 1843, the structure became home to the cadets of the South Carolina Military Academy. Additionally, as Vesey's rebellion relied on assistance from free black sailors, South Carolina passed legislation known as the Negro Seamen Acts. The act called for the incarceration of visiting free black sailors in local jails while their vessel remained in Charleston to eliminate contact between free black sailors from outside of South Carolina and black Charlestonians. Despite protests from northern states and British consuls, South Carolina stubbornly insisted on its right to police its population in this way. Denmark Vesey was later held up as a hero among abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, during the Civil War. Douglass used Vesey's name as a rallying cry in recruiting and inspiring African American troops, including the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. Vesey's son, Robert, attended the April 14, 1865 ceremony at Fort Sumter. Today, however, his name remains largely unknown despite his foundational role in accelerating further slave rebellions and ultimately the civil war itself. We discuss why this is the case and what lessons can be learned from this story.   To support this podcast, join our patreon for early episode access at www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac For more information and updates, visit www.poorproles.com and subscribe to our e-mail list. For the supplemental reader that goes along with the podcast, visit: https://poorprolesalmanac.substack.com   Sources: Jeremy Schipper “Denmark Vesey's Bible” https://userpages.umbc.edu/~bouton/History407/SlaveStats.htm https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/defining-charlestons-free-people-color

Denmark Vesey, a carpenter and formerly enslaved person, allegedly planned an enslaved insurrection to coincide with Bastille Day in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822. Vesey modeled his rebellion after the successful 1791 slave revolution in Haiti. His plans called for his followers to execute the white enslavers, liberate the city of Charleston, and then sail to Haiti before the white power structure could retaliate. Vesey and several of his co-conspirators worshiped at the African Church, the AME congregation which became Mother Emanuel after the Civil War. Along with white abolitionists in the North, Vesey referenced the Bible in his attacks on the institution of slavery. In the aftermath of the execution, white Charlestonians tore down the church and supported new efforts to control the black majority. Funds were appropriated to support a Municipal Guard of 150 men and the construction of "a Citadel" to house them and weapons. In 1843, the structure became home to the cadets of the South Carolina Military Academy. Additionally, as Vesey's rebellion relied on assistance from free black sailors, South Carolina passed legislation known as the Negro Seamen Acts. The act called for the incarceration of visiting free black sailors in local jails while their vessel remained in Charleston to eliminate contact between free black sailors from outside of South Carolina and black Charlestonians. Despite protests from northern states and British consuls, South Carolina stubbornly insisted on its right to police its population in this way. Denmark Vesey was later held up as a hero among abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, during the Civil War. Douglass used Vesey's name as a rallying cry in recruiting and inspiring African American troops, including the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. Vesey's son, Robert, attended the April 14, 1865 ceremony at Fort Sumter. Today, however, his name remains largely unknown despite his foundational role in accelerating further slave rebellions and ultimately the civil war itself. We discuss why this is the case and what lessons can be learned from this story.   To support this podcast, join our patreon for early episode access at www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac For more information and updates, visit www.poorproles.com and subscribe to our e-mail list. For the supplemental reader that goes along with the podcast, visit: https://poorprolesalmanac.substack.com   Sources: Jeremy Schipper “Denmark Vesey's Bible” https://userpages.umbc.edu/~bouton/History407/SlaveStats.htm https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/defining-charlestons-free-people-color

The Old Charleston Jail, located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina is a sight to see if you're ever in low country. Nestled between neighborhoods and on the outskirts of the posh historic district, the jail looks horrifyingly out of place. Across the street, an apartment building with children playing on the green has this large fortress for a view. In this area, the horrifying past of Charlestonians from long ago literally collides with residents of today.Where to find Whitney Zahar online:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyzahar/The ParaUnity podcast: https://paraunitypodcast.wixsite.com/paraunityBooks: https://www.amazon.com/Whitney-Zahar/e/B01AJY8YFY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1666105133&sr=8-1 Many thanks to Bulldog Tours for a wonderful tour of the jail. Other Fabled Collective Episodes mentioned:Lavinia FisherSt. AlbansSorrel-Weed HouseOther Podcasts Mentioned:Pleasing TerrorsHaunted HappenstanceMusic:The following music was used for this media project:Loss by Kevin MacLeodFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4003-lossLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://incompetech.com"Ghostpocalypse - 6 Crossing the Threshold" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 

How did Black America create Memorial Day?  In this special episode of the Black Is America podcast, we explore the little-known story of recently enslaved citizens of Charleston, South Carolina, honored Union soldiers.  In doing so, they inadvertently create a holiday we celebrate today. In this episode, you will hear: How the Charlestonians honored the Union Soldiers Who was given credit for creating Memorial Day How South Carolina has acknowledged what happened on May 1, 1865.  Yale professor David W. Blight is featured in this episode. His audio is courtesy of The New York Historical Society and Yale University.  This episode was also created due to sources from The Root.com, History.com, and Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ.   

Subscribe to NOW Charleston on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via RSS.Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram.How much more affordable would gas be if SC lawmakers cut the fuel tax? - The StateOil prices dropped 30% in a week. What gives? - CNNAAA Average Gas PricesCharleston County plans to hire new superintendent by September - P&CCharleston Famed Institution Bertha's Kitchen Is for Sale - Eater CarolinasFOLLOW:twitter.com/nowcharlestoninstagram.com/nowcharlestonWE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK:sam@nowchs.com843-474-1319INFO AND SHOW NOTES:nowchs.com

On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof, a young white man, attended the Wednesday evening Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. An hour later, Roof pulled a concealed weapon and killed nine African-Americans as they prayed, including Myra Thompson, the wife of Reverend Anthony Thompson. Myra's murder devastated Anthony, yet he chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter. Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love. In this candid conversation, Anthony Thompson candidly shares the details of that awful night, the grief he experienced, and the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Reverend Thompson shares a compelling vision of the power of forgiveness to transform our lives--personally, in our communities, and even in our nation. Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.

Part 2 - On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof, a young white man, attended the Wednesday evening Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. An hour later, Roof pulled a concealed weapon and killed nine African-Americans as they prayed, including Myra Thompson, the wife of Reverend Anthony Thompson. Myra's murder devastated Anthony, yet he chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter. Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love. In this candid conversation, Anthony Thompson candidly shares the details of that awful night, the the grief he experienced, and the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Reverend Thompson shares a compelling vision of the power of forgiveness to transform our lives--personally, in our communities, and even in our nation. Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.

On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof, a young white man, attended the Wednesday evening Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. An hour later, Roof pulled a concealed weapon and killed nine African-Americans as they prayed, including Myra Thompson, the wife of Reverend Anthony Thompson. Myra's murder devastated Anthony, yet he chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter. Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love. In this candid conversation, Anthony Thompson candidly shares the details of that awful night, the grief he experienced, and the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Reverend Thompson shares a compelling vision of the power of forgiveness to transform our lives--personally, in our communities, and even in our nation. Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.

Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.

Summertime for many Lowcountry residents is a time to shed the constraints of modern life and enjoy the great outdoors. Long before the convenience of modern transportation, Charlestonians developed a tradition of maroons, picnics, and parades that enlivened scores of summers. Although these traditions are now extinct, the 1925 novel Porgy captures the twilight of that fading tradition.

You're listening to a special-edition, three-part podcast series about Charleston's Schützenfest, a mid-19th-century German gun and beer festival that initially was a diverse and welcoming environment, but which gradually evolved into a site of white supremacy. In our first two episodes, we delved deeper into both the history of the fest itself and the kinds of beer you might see around Charleston in the 19th century. Now we'll take a more contemporary view by talking to people living in, advocating for, and brewing in Charleston today. First, I speak with a childhood mentor of mine, Mr. Sammy Backman. Mr. Sammy isn't a brewer. He runs Backman's Seafood, and has spent more than 50 years fishing South Carolina's coast. The same fundamental forces that transformed the Schützenfest have followed Mr. Sammy's boats his whole life. But in turn, he's thriving, and he's taught me since my childhood about the indelible mark Gullah Geechee communities continue to make on Charleston life. Next, I catch up with KJ Kearney, host of Black Food Fridays on Instagram, who's worked tirelessly to help Gullah Geechee communities be better recognized and included in the Holy City. On his Instagram series, KJ educates fellow Charlestonians about Black food traditions by preserving Gullah foodways and history. We talk about the power of food and beverage history to erode racial barriers, our love for (and our frustrations with) Charleston, and KJ's work to make things better. Finally, I talk with Jaime Tenny of Charleston's own Coast Brewing Company. She discusses her brewery's need to better include new communities, and how much learning she still needs to do before that's possible. As our conversation shows, many breweries don't know how to foster authentic inclusion within their spaces, even if they do know that it's on them to learn. Join us in finishing our journey through the Schützenfest, Charleston, and the centuries-long work of racial oppression. Here's 60-year Charleston native—and part of my village—Mr. Sammy Backman.

For nearly a century between 1750 and 1858, local government dictated the weight, price, and composition of breads prepared by Lowcountry bakers for retail sale. The operation shaped the diets of all classes of Charlestonians and provoked debate about equal access to the necessities of life.

Dedicated recreational space was not part of the vocabulary of urban planning in colonial South Carolina, so early Charlestonians were obliged to borrow private land for use as public greens. The earliest evidence of a shared space for sport and leisure in our community points to a forgotten suburban site once known as the Bowling Green.

In 1963, 15-year-old Millicent Brown made history as she walked up the steps of Rivers High School, an all-white high school in Charleston. However, she would not have been the one to integrate Rivers High School, if it had not been for slow court litigation. Instead, it was supposed to be her sister, Minerva, who graduated high school before the completion of the lawsuit, but Millicent took her place as the lead plaintiff in the case “Millicent Brown, et al v. School District 20.” She is one of 11 students known as "The Charleston Eleven." Dr. Brown is a lifelong community advocate and spokesperson for economic, social and educational improvements in impoverished neighborhoods and communities of color throughout the South, the nation and the world. She specializes in ongoing analysis of the modern civil rights movement, and explores social justice dynamics and intersections of race, gender and class in contemporary society. Brown is co-founder and Project Director of a national initiative to identify the“first children”, like herself, to desegregate previously all-white schools (Somebody Had to Do It Project). She has held a variety of history and museum related faculty positions and serves as consultant for numerous museums, historic sites and social justice programs in North and South Carolina. Currently, she is working at the College of Charleston, Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, where she makes presentations, conducts workshops and advises on issues related to educational reform in South Carolina and civil rights history. She is responsible for collecting oral histories of Charlestonians. She is a 1975 graduate of The College of Charleston, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. In 1978 graduate of The Citadel, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Education. She is a 1997 graduate of Florida State University, Tallahassee, where she earned a Ph.D. in 20th, 19th and 18th Century U.S. History; Concentrations: the Civil Rights Movement; African American History; Public History and Archives Management. Dr. Brown's presentation, “Why Somebody Had to Do It”, A conversation on the primary reason for school desegregation, is available for classroom use. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patricia-bligen-jones/message

This week’s podcast episode is a very Charleston episode. Sorry, not sorry.While the police killing of George Floyd has set off protests and uprisings across the globe, we are seeing activism take root differently in different communities. In Charleston, South Carolina, it’s dredging up some recent history of police abuse and white supremacist terrorism.My guest this week is Mika Gadsden, founder of the Charleston Activist Network. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @mikagadsden, and follow the Charleston Activist Network on Instagram at @charlestonactivistnetwork. Her podcast Mic’d Up on Ohm Radio is essential listening for Charlestonians, and I recommend subscribing via iTunes or listening on Soundcloud.Stay safe. Take care of each other. Talk to you next week. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at brutalsouth.substack.com/subscribe

Charlestonians were shocked to find a local magistrate at the center of an illegal black dance raided by police in 1795. William Cunnington defended his honor by publishing a narrative of the soirée, but historians have misinterpreted this intriguing story. Forgotten for more than two centuries, Cunnington’s text provides a valuable and entertaining glimpse of life in early Charleston.

Freedom and slavery were the opposing states of being that defined the lives of most early Charlestonians, but our community also hosted a small population of people who lived between those legal poles. The city’s “free people of color” enjoyed a modicum of liberty, but the law viewed their skin color and ancestry as a bar from full civil rights.

Noah - while regretfully Mattless again - is in the beautiful city of Charleston, SC, talking with Adam Goodwin. The conversation picks up right as Adam's brewery, Charles Towne Fermentory, wraps up its third annual There Will Be Hops beer festival. After discussing the value of fests through brewer eyes (and the impetus to host one), the guys talk about Adam breaking into the brewing industry as an early employee Tired Hands, later becoming head brewer at Trillium, and his experience opening a brewery in a city he knew very little about. This one's a little shorter (plane to catch) and noisier (recorded in working brewery) than usual, but Adam effortlessly provides a ton of valuable perspective, and will make Yankees proud with a perfectly executed Three Bay that involves some famous Charlestonians.

In this personal and moving episode of The Walk, Rev. Anthony Thompson talks to John I. Snyder about the tragic loss of his wife in the Charleston church shooting and the power of forgiveness. While the murder of his wife devastated Anthony Thompson, he and three other relatives of victims chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter. Years later, the church and community still struggle to understand the family members' deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians have witnessed these incredible acts of forgiveness, something significant has happened to the community – black and white leaders and residents have united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.Click here to order Rev. Thompson's book, Called to Forgive: The Charleston Church Shooting, a Victim's Husband, and the Path to Healing and Peace.About The Walk: The Walk is about our faith walk, the way we live out our faith in our daily life. Pastor and author John I. Snyder brings some of his conversations of faith from all aspects with writers, pastors, friends, musicians, entrepreneurs, and others.

Baseball was a novelty in the summer of 1869. Charlestonians had only recently embraced the game, which provided a relaxing way to escape the city’s tense political climate. When sport, music, and racial politics collided on Citadel Green on July 26th, the pastime erupted into a violent clash that spilled into the streets and threatened to overwhelm the rule of law.

They are sure signs of Spoleto in downtown Charleston; instrument toting musicians and scorching heat. Among the jostling violin cases, is Shannon Fitzhenry. She’s back for her second year with the annual Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, one of 92 musicians chosen to play. “The goal is to get up in time to warm up before rehearsal,” she laughs. The Charleston native grew up with Spoleto, but admits she didn't fully appreciate it until she moved away to study music at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. “I started hearing more about Spoleto from non-Charlestonians and realized I really needed to go back and experience the festival.” So, like hundreds of other musicians, she auditioned with Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra director and conductor John Kennedy. He’s been hand picking its members for nine years. “Our festival is the only one where the music director travels around and personally selects who will play in the orchestra,” says Kennedy. His quest for the very best

Charleston was once a heavily heavily-fortified town, enclosed by defensive works that accumulated over successive eras of warfare with our enemy neighbors. The campaign to fortify Charleston commenced early in the town’s history, but precisely how early is unclear. Today we’ll focus on the earliest years and ask—how prepared were Charlestonians of the 1680s to defend their homes? The answer just might surprise you.

Join us in our Post Midterms Episode as we talk red waves, blue waves, Ojeda for President, and talk to Charlestonians about their election night (spoiler: four of them were elected!) & hopes for the future.  Next week we will be spreading our wings further into Appalachia! Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review our show! 

Jenna was born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and now lives in Summerville, “Flower Town”, South Carolina, where sweet tea was born and Charlestonians would vacation to for the summer! She owns a 1850’s Beautiful Colonial Farmhouse and helps raise many animals including 2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats “Magnolia” & “Wisteria” at the farmhouse! In the episode we discuss farming, sustainable, traveling and our newest project GOAT YOGA!!

Kerry Diamond hangs out with some of her favorite Charlestonians: the team behind Effin B Radio to hear all about the city's food culture. Effin B Radio is a Charleston-based podcast taking a ridiculous look at the food and beverage community – tackling the issues that don’t matter at all – hosted by Lindsay Collins, Nikki “Spready-Butter” Anhalt, and Philip Michael Cohen. Heritage Radio Network On Tour is powered by Simplecast.

For the first 180 years of Charleston’s existence—from the arrival of the first settlers, through the entire colonial era and the American Revolution, through the War of 1812 and the Nullification Crisis, right up to the middle of the nineteenth century—Charlestonians rode their horses and drove their carriages on the left side of the road.  Why?

Rather than following one large topic from beginning to end, this episode offers a bowl of Charleston alphabet soup—an A-to-Z feast of 25 short biographies profiling (mostly) obscure Charlestonians, each of whom would make a great subject for your next historical novel, screenplay, or school report.  Bon appetit!

Forging Freedom: Black Women and the Pursuit of Liberty in Antebellum Charleston For black women in antebellum Charleston, freedom was not a static legal category but a fragile and contingent experience. A deeply researched social history, Forging Freedom reveals the ways in which black women in Charleston acquired, defined, and defended their own vision of freedom. Drawing on legislative and judicial materials, probate data, tax lists, church records, family papers, and more, Myers creates detailed portraits of individual women while exploring how black female Charlestonians sought to create a fuller freedom by improving their financial, social, and legal standing. Examining both those who were officially manumitted and those who lived as free persons but lacked official documentation, Myers reveals that free black women filed lawsuits and petitions, acquired property (including slaves), entered into contracts, paid taxes, earned wages, attended schools, and formed familial alliances with wealthy and powerful men, black and white--all in an effort to solidify and expand their freedom. Never fully free, black women had to depend on their skills of negotiation in a society dedicated to upholding both slavery and patriarchy. Forging Freedom thus examines the many ways in which Charleston's black women crafted a freedom of their own design instead of accepting the limited existence imagined for them by white Southerners. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers earned her doctorate in American History from Rutgers University. A historian of the black female experience, she is interested in race, gender, sexuality, rights, freedom, and citizenship and the ways in which these constructs intersect with one another in the lives of black women in the Old South. She is currently Associate Professor of History and Gender Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

There's a long history to the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., — affectionately known as "Mother Emanuel" — where nine churchgoers were allegedly shot and killed by 21-year-old Dylann Roof on Wednesday night. Part of that history involves Denmark Vesey, a West Indian slave, and later a freedman, who planned what would have been one of the largest slave rebellions in the United States had word of the plans not been leaked.

Forging Freedom: Black Women and the Pursuit of Liberty in Antebellum Charleston For black women in antebellum Charleston, freedom was not a static legal category but a fragile and contingent experience. A deeply researched social history, Forging Freedom reveals the ways in which black women in Charleston acquired, defined, and defended their own vision of freedom. Drawing on legislative and judicial materials, probate data, tax lists, church records, family papers, and more, Myers creates detailed portraits of individual women while exploring how black female Charlestonians sought to create a fuller freedom by improving their financial, social, and legal standing. Examining both those who were officially manumitted and those who lived as free persons but lacked official documentation, Myers reveals that free black women filed lawsuits and petitions, acquired property (including slaves), entered into contracts, paid taxes, earned wages, attended schools, and formed familial alliances with wealthy and powerful men, black and white--all in an effort to solidify and expand their freedom. Never fully free, black women had to depend on their skills of negotiation in a society dedicated to upholding both slavery and patriarchy. Forging Freedom thus examines the many ways in which Charleston's black women crafted a freedom of their own design instead of accepting the limited existence imagined for them by white Southerners. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers earned her doctorate in American History from Rutgers University. A historian of the black female experience, she is interested in race, gender, sexuality, rights, freedom, and citizenship and the ways in which these constructs intersect with one another in the lives of black women in the Old South. She is currently Associate Professor of History and Gender Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  

Matt Lee and Ted Lee exhibit a Southern politeness that speaks to their background growing up in genteel Charleston, South Carolina. Ask the brothers about instant grits, though, and they pull no punches. The pair once described the supermarket variety as “cream-wheat bland, a cultural embarrassment” and recently declared that the white stuff is better suited for spackling walls than for consumption.  The Lee brothers, who have a new cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, out on Tuesday, have built their careers as food writers thanks in part to grits. When they first moved to the northeast for college years ago, they missed the food of their childhood so much they started The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, which specializes in Southern pantry staples. In addition to boil peanuts, one of the first products they offered was stone-ground grits. Now, more than a decade later, stone-ground grits are commonplace in many New York City restaurants, said Ted Lee, who lives in Brooklyn. “What’s been so exciting in the last 15 years is to see mills that had been out of production — you know, stone-driven, water-powered mills — being brought back into production,” he said. “It’s similar, when I think about it, to... the coffee culture that’s grown up so much in the last 15 years with people really appreciating what kind of corn, where it’s milled, how it’s milled.” Ted Lee added that he uses a Mexican-style hand-crank table-clamp mill and grinds grits with the same ease as he would grind fresh coffee. Matt Lee lives in Charleston. He notes that grist mills, like Tuthill House in upstate New York, have found a second life as part of the grits resurgence. At mills like Tuthill, dried corn is subject to an age-old process of being ground between millstones.  “Grits are simply corn,” Matt Lee said. “For the most part, it’s not that variety of corn designed for fresh eating. It’s another one, flintier, a little more like field corn.” Traditionally, the corn is cracked and then the hull and flour are filtered out. The flour is “ideal for your corn bread and less so for your grits,” he added. “[Then] what you’re left with is mostly the protein, sort of rice-like granules ideally the size of a large grain of sand that are softened up in milk or water to be delicious corn-flavored grits.” (Photo: Ted Lee and Matt Lee/The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen) As for the cooking liquid, the Lee brothers use a combination of water and whole milk, but preferences can run the spectrum from all water to all dairy. “Usually, if you go to a restaurant, they’re boiling it up with, like, full-on heavy cream,” said Ted Lee. “They’re basically making a cheese out of it. You can add a lot of dairy product.” While instant grits have a near-immortal shelf life, stone-ground grits maintain that oily germ, so they’re best stored in refrigerator or freezer. “Since they’re so powdery and absorptive to be sure to double bag them before you put them in there, or otherwise they’ll acquire whatever flavors are going on in your freezer,” cautioned Matt Lee. As for how that contrasts with coffee storage, which baristas say not to put in the freezer, Matt Lee is a little less circumspect. “I guess grits connoisseurship hasn’t reached that über level just yet,” he said with a laugh. “We’re happy to have fresh grits, we’ll leave it at that.” Below, try a recipe for Shrimp and Grits from The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. Shrimp and Grits from The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen  Serves: 4  Time: 1 hour 1¼ pounds headless large (21 to 25 count) shell-on shrimp 1 bay leaf Kosher salt ¾ teaspoon sugar 1 pinch of cayenne 1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and quartered 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, plus more to taste 4 ounces slab bacon, cut into large dice 1 lemon, halved 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 garlic cloves, minced Freshly ground black pepper Charleston Hominy (recipe follows) 1. Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shrimp in a bowl and the shells in a small saucepan. Add 2 cups of water, the bay leaf, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of the sugar, and the cayenne to the saucepan with the shells. With a spoon, tamp the shells down beneath the surface of the water, cover, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Uncover, turn the heat to medium low, and let the shrimp stock simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, slice the shrimp in half lengthwise. 3. Put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and add the vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar. Process to a smooth purée, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing the skin and seeds to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the skin and seeds. You should have 1½ cups of tomato purée. 4. Scatter the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is alluringly browned and has rendered its fat, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small paper-towel-lined plate and cook the shrimp in the bacon fat in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, and stirring occasionally, just until they’ve curled into corkscrews and turned pink, about 2 minutes; reserve on a plate. Squeeze half the lemon over the shrimp and sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt. 5. Strain the shrimp stock into the sauté pan, discarding the solids, and stir with a wooden spoon to pick up the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the stock simmers, spoon off 2 tablespoons and then whisk them into the flour with a fork in a small bowl to make a paste. Add the tomato purée and the garlic to the pan, stir to combine, and then whisk the flour paste into the sauce. Cook until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon. 6. Cut the heat, and fold the shrimp in just to warm through. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red wine vinegar. Cut the remaining lemon half into 4 wedges. Serve the shrimp over hot Charleston Hominy, and garnish with the reserved bacon and the lemon wedges. Charleston HominyMakes: 3 cups Time: 45 minutes Charlestonians of a certain age tend to call cooked grits “hominy.” This causes confusion, because hominy everyplace else means nixtamalized—hulled by soaking in a lye solution corn, which is delicious, but a different food and flavor altogether, more evocative of Chihuahua than Charleston. Whether or not you call cooked grits “hominy,” everyone seems to agree that the uncooked raw material is “grits.” After several decades of post-WWII decline, real stoneground grits (dried corn cracked in a mill and cooked with water to a silky softness) have come back in the South—and well beyond, thanks to the valiant efforts of hard-working millers, along with the crusading flavor-centrism of restaurant chefs in Charleston and beyond, who have encouraged neophytes to experience good grits. What everyone enjoys about corn grits is their mildly earthy grain flavor and their texture, which resembles sticky rice and performs the same task of grounding a plate with a bright, malleable, and still toothsome starch. “Hominy” is employed almost interchangeably with rice, and is near-essential in Charleston with savory breakfasts of fried fish, eggs, and smokehouse bacon, but also appears at lunch and dinner, especially beneath a buttery slab of fish, or with shrimp. Charleston breakfast hominy, like Charleston Rice (page 133), is an exercise in simplicity; the dish isn’t intended to dazzle, but to be honed to a fine polish by years of intensive use—hominy grits, as some call it, is as familiar as water and salt, but rarely taken for granted. 2 cups whole milk 1 cup stone-ground coarse grits 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Pour the milk and 2 cups of water into a 2-quart saucepan, cover, and turn the heat to medium high. When the liquid simmers, add the grits, butter, and ½ teaspoon salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir every couple of minutes until the grits have become fragrant, and are the consistency of thick soup, about 8 minutes. 2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often and ever more frequently, for about 20 minutes, by which time the bubbles will emerge infrequently as the grits have stiffened and fall lazily from the end of a spoon. Add ½ teaspoon black pepper and cook for about 10 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent the thickened grits from scorching on the bottom of the pan (appoint someone to the stirring task if you have to step away—a scorched pot of grits is bitter and a total loss). If your grits thicken too quickly, or if they are too gritty for your taste, add water by the half cup, stirring to incorporate, and continue cooking until tender. 3. When the grits are stiff and stick well to the spoon, turn off the heat and stir. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and serve immediately.