Sometimes history is as easy at 1..2..3. 
For example, let’s start with our exciting kickoff to our 2018 program schedule. Historic Preservation and 21st Century Interpretations of Slavery.
Sounds like a weighty subject, doesn’t it? But it’s consistent with the belief that history isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) a dry academic pursuit. Our discussion will focus on how the legacy of slavery informs our world today and what impact it can have on newer communities like Daniel Island.
Anne Hanahan Blessing is a Charleston native and has been active in the Beyond the Big House project.
Joseph McGill founded the Slave Dwelling Project.
McGill and Blessing understand that although their ancestral pasts couldn’t be much different they are intertwined and that the future is inevitably influenced by the past. That’s why they’ll be posing questions Tuesday night like: What responsibilities do newer communities, and present-day citizens everywhere, have to the past? How ought communities like Daniel Island honor the past even as they grow? What are the challenges, the typical stumbling blocks, etc?
Our second 1..2…3 suggestion is that you take some time exploring the Charleston Museum. This great local treasure just celebrated its 235th birthday. If you haven’t been there recently it’s time to take another look. Check it out at their website or better yet make the short trip downtown.
And suggestion number three is to check out a new program being offered by the Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center. It’s called History in Your Backyard, a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.
Events begin Friday, Jan. 19, with a 5:30 p.m. lecture at Goose Creek City Hall, followed by a tour on Jan. 20 of Battery Warren located on the Santee River but that’s just the start of this program. Find out more on their Facebook page. 