Avery connects local kids with past
Don't let the prestige of the College of Charleston's Avery Research Center fool you into thinking it's just a place for scholars to get their hands on treasured archives documenting African-American culture.
Consider what the center offers to children as it hopes to pass on a love for history to the next generation.
Museum curator Curtis Franks sees many children walk through the halls of Avery, which is reminiscent of the center's original purpose as a school. The site is a popular location for class trips, given the thousands of primary documents and artifacts it houses allowing students to come face to face with the history they may otherwise only read about in textbooks.
When given the opportunity to reach out to younger generations, Franks said the center teaches them to partake in and record their unique customs so that those traditions aren't lost forever. Simple things, such as taking photos of family gatherings, saving old journals, birth certificates and even funeral programs, can be the makings of archives preserving their own history.
In understanding the principles of archiving, Franks said children begin to connect with the history they read about in ways that they may not have before.
"We give them some clarity on the things that they see and may not have perspective on, like the relationship of their own community and how important it is to be conscious of your own surroundings," Franks said. "Sometimes people see history in terms of places and dates, and it's difficult for them to relate to it. But through reading documents you become aware of humanity and universal things like our needs, our desires and aspirations as human beings, and they begin to see that."
Undergraduate student assistants AJ Johnson, 21, and Briosha Sanders, 20, see their share of college students perusing the Avery for research, but they said they see children benefiting from the museum just as much.
"We have a lot of African-American students come through, and I think it's always nice to feel like you can relate to people that look like you," Sanders said. "... When they come in, they're a little shy, but then when they see us, they start to loosen up and enjoy that experience. It's nice for the children to get an educational aspect of their own culture."
"The beauty of the Avery is that it's all about discovery," Johnson added. "You walk around and you learn about stuff that you've never seen before in your life. All of this is your history, and it's a part of you. ... You can actually see that discovery. You can see kids' eyes light up as they learn about their history and things they may not have known. ... It's a beautiful thing."
There is plenty for children to discover at the center, which is hosting the Smithsonian's exhibit showcasing the work of renowned African-American linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner. Included in the exhibit is a room for children to explore, inviting them to play with African drums and even sit for story time on Saturdays.
Visit avery.cofc.edu or call 953-7609.
Reach Christina Elmore at 937-5908.
