Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture: Heritage Interpretation

As a part the "Speaking Our Truths" initiative by the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture had partnered with the National Association for Interpretation to certify more Black and Brown interpreters as well as faculty, staff and students at the College of Charleston. 

Today, Charleston is a top tourist destination. Whether they know it or not, tourists come to Charleston to experience the culture and the landscapes of Africans and their descendants. Yet, as was the case with their ancestors, Black people largely have no access to the wealth generated by the multibillion dollar a year tourism industry that continues to thrive off and exploit their culture.

There is little consistency in the interpretation of Indigenous American and African contributions from one historic site to the next. Very few Black and Brown interpreters are employed at historic sites in the area; few own tour companies and even fewer are certified interpreters. This initiative seeks to change that and place the Avery Research Center and the College of Charleston at the center of these efforts.