Programs Celebrating Black History Month in February

Every day through exhibits, tours and daily programs, visitors to Middleton Place National Historic Landmark learn about the enslaved men and women who lived and worked here and hear their important stories and vast contributions from engineering and landscaping to building and sustaining Middleton Place through the centuries. To commemorate Black History Month, Middleton Place will provide special programming throughout the month of February.

“Ashley’s Sack” on Display in the Middleton Place Museum

January 29- February 28, 2022

In honor of Black History Month and to recognize Dr. Tiya Miles for the prestigious National Book Club Award for All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake, Ashley’s Sack will be on display in the Museum at Middleton Place National Historic Landmark January 29 –  February 28, 2022.

For Middleton Place Foundation, “Ashley’s Sack” is  one of the most revered and relevant objects in the collection. For Middleton Place Foundation, “Ashley’s Sack” is arguably one of the most revered and relevant objects in the collection. The rough cotton bag is embroidered with a handful of words that evoke a family story of loss and love, passed down through generations.

In 1850s South Carolina, an enslaved woman named Rose gave this sack to her nine-year old daughter, Ashley, when she was separated from her mother and sold.  Its contents held a few precious items to ensure the child’s survival and as a token of love and remembrance.  Decades later, Ashley’s great-granddaughter Ruth embroidered this story on the bag, accenting Rose’s wish that “it be filled with my love always.”

The House Museum is open Tuesday- Sunday 10am-4:00 pm and Monday 12:00pm-4:00pm.

Lest We Forget. . . A Story of the African American Experience Through Story and Song

Saturday, February 5 & 12 | 11:00am & 1:00pm

This engaging and thought-provoking program tells the story of one woman’s life and enslavement in the Low Country of South Carolina. Using such time-honored traditions as storytelling and music, presenter Rose Atterberry weaves a story that invokes memories of the past while speaking to our modern-day conscience. Included with General Admissions.

 “Cooking with Adam”

Saturday February 19 | 11:00am & 2:00pm

Historical interpreter and chef, Dontavius Williams, will share stories of plantation kitchen labor and the influence of 18th-century meals on American cuisine and culture. This first-person historical interpretation of an enslaved man by Adam’s name comprises various accounts, historical facts, and life lessons for viewers of any age to enjoy. Included with General Admissions.

The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction at Middleton Place

Wednesday, February 23  | 11: 00 am, 1:00pm & 3:00pm

On February 23, 1865, Union troops informed the enslaved people at Middleton Place they were no longer enslaved, but were they free? What did they do? Where did they go? What did freedom mean for them…and for the Middleton family? Join Middleton Place staff members in this program that tells the story of creating a new America through the experiences and stories of the people who lived and labored at Middleton Place after 1865. Included with General Admissions.

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