By: Al Hester, Historic Sites Coordinator, South Carolina State Park Service
May 14, 2024
The Featured Projects series showcases historic preservation projects focused on preserving Black history throughout SC. Each project is asked to respond to four prompts. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of preservation projects being undertaken across the state, highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations of projects.
Want to feature your preservation project? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.
Provide a brief summary of your project, making sure to include why it’s important for African American historic preservation.
This project involved documentation of a significant cultural landscape associated with Black history at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site. The project produced a “cultural landscape report”, which is a management document that compiles all known information about a property’s cultural landscape, including drawings, maps, photographs, a historical narrative, and preservation recommendations. Hampton Plantation was an 18th century rice plantation in northern Charleston County located on the South Santee River. Its buildings, rice fields, and landscapes were all created by enslaved people of African descent and their descendants. It is essential that these landscapes be preserved so that the public can learn about the contributions and struggles of enslaved people and the long-lasting communities that they established. More than anything else, plantations are Black history sites that can help tell the stories of Black people, both enslaved and free, not only through architecture but also through landscape features such as former agricultural areas, cemeteries, gardens, and forests. The National Park Service defines a cultural landscape as “a geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources and the wildlife or domestic animals therein, associated with a historic event, activity, or person, or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.” (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/culturallandscapes/understand-cl.htm)
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
As a state-operated public historic site, Hampton Plantation has the mission to preserve the cultural resources under its care, including its cultural landscape. But more importantly, Hampton Plantation’s landscape is an ideal setting for the public to access and explore Black history through landscape. The team and community members of an adjacent descendant community also wanted to document the landscape history better so that the site could be managed more responsibly. We also believed that a well-preserved landscape could help bring the past to life and inspire visitors. For example, walking through the former settlement of enslaved people at Hampton, even though the buildings had disappeared long ago, can provide a moving and more authentic experience of the past. The project produced a cultural landscape report that compiled all the information we found through photographs, maps, and a written description. The site managers have been able to use this information to re-create selected views and vistas, replant missing significant trees, and manage the forests in ways more consistent with their historical uses. We were also able to rebuild a damaged rice field dam and install a recreated rice trunk (water control device) based on historic documentation. Finally, we were also able to use the report to update the site’s National Register of Historic Places listing to include more information about landscape, archaeology, and Black history.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
Cultural landscape preservation is always difficult. Landscapes are composed of human-built features as well as natural resources such as trees and forests. By nature, they are dynamic places that are always evolving. It was also difficult to find sources of information that could serve as evidence of the past appearance and function of the landscape. Since landscapes change with time, natural processes, and human use, locations at Hampton looked very different in the 18th century than they did 100 years later. Documenting that change over time was a critical part of the project. Landscape documentation also is challenging because it requires many different skill sets. Our team had to include a biologist, forester, archaeologist, historian, landscape architect, as well as current and past local residents. Each person brought a different view point to the project and made it a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
Finding good evidence of past landscapes is difficult but very important, and we were able to find new information through oral history and discussions with people who had lived and worked on or near Hampton. We were grateful that they were willing to share their traditional knowledge about the place and its landscape. Because historical documents are often silent about landscapes, people’s memories can help fill in the gaps. Photographs are also useful, and over time we were able to find dozens of these in various archival repositories and libraries such as the South Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina, the Charleston Museum, the Gibbes Art Museum, the South Carolina Historical Society, and the Indiana Historical Society. Local, private collections of photographs were also very helpful. Photos hold important visual clues of things like roads, tree lines, plant species, fences, etc. This kind of evidence helps to document what has been lost. Archaeology is critical as well, since many of the features that no longer exist above ground have left evidence in the soil. At Hampton, archaeologists excavated evidence of former buildings and work areas and helped us understand how specific places were used and altered over time.
Over the past few decades, Michael “Mike” Allen and his work have become synonymous with African American historic preservation in South Carolina and beyond.
His journey with historic preservation began not in a classroom but in his hometown of Kingstree. Witnessing the value placed on restoring and maintaining historic structures within his African American community instilled in him a deep appreciation for the tangible connection to the past.
This personal foundation, coupled with the work he did at Fort Sumter beginning in 1980, paved the way for a transformative career dedicated to amplifying African American narratives within the broader historical landscape.
Allen’s 37-year tenure with the National Park Service (NPS) was marked by tireless efforts to bridge the gap between the public and the often-overlooked narratives of African American history.
“Most entities in that organization didn’t really take much of a view to African American structures,” he says. Allen made it his mission to change that, working to bring awareness and support to neglected African American historic places.
Along the way, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in 2006, the first corridor of its kind dedicated to highlighting the unique history and cultural contributions of the Gullah Geechee people of the Coastal Carolinas and Georgia.
His unwavering dedication culminated in the landmark achievement of establishing the Reconstruction Era National Monument (now the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park) in Beaufort County in 2017, ensuring the stories of this pivotal period in American history are not relegated to the margins.
Raising Awareness and Empowering Communities
“My work has always been about raising awareness,” Allen stresses. “Seeing the lack of recognition given to African American historical sites fueled my passion to not only celebrate these spaces but empower communities to actively participate in their preservation.”
From understanding the cyclical maintenance needs of brick masonry at Fort Sumter to recognizing the crucial structural integrity of the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Allen’s experiences with the NPS solidified to him the importance of preserving these spaces not just for their physical presence but for the stories they hold.
Allen credits Dr. Peter Wood’s book “Black Majority” as a pivotal moment in his own awakening to the significance of African American history and culture. “This book opened my eyes to a pattern of history I hadn’t grasped before,” he shares. “It was a turning point, and the National Park Service became a platform for me to share this newfound understanding and advocate for the stories that were waiting to be told.”
Today, at age 65, Allen can look back with pride at the many tangible signs of progress he helped create, from historical markers to museum exhibits that help tell the full story of African American history in South Carolina.
“The sign at Sullivan’s Island and Toni Morrison’s first Bench by the Road that recognizes the arrival of enslaved Africans, the Fort Moultrie visitor center and the African Passages exhibit, the Gullah Geechee trail, the Reconstruction site in Beaufort … none of these were there when I started. I’m grateful to have played a part in making all those happen,” he says.
Sharing Gullah Culture Through Tastee Treats
Following his retirement from the NPS in 2017, Allen continues to champion the preservation of Gullah Geechee culture through his online store, Tastee Treats.
Alongside his wife, Latanya, they offer traditional Gullah desserts and treats like benne seed cookies, sweet grass baskets, and handmade pottery – providing a delicious and authentic window into the rich culinary and artistic heritage of the Gullah Geechee people.
“Tastee Treats is a way for us to share a slice of Gullah culture with a wider audience,” Allen says. “Preserving these traditions goes beyond physical structures; it’s about keeping the stories, the flavors, the crafts alive for future generations.”
A Call to Action for Aspiring Advocates
Looking forward, Allen’s advice for aspiring advocates is rooted in community engagement and unwavering perseverance. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s own history and building strong alliances, acknowledging the challenges that often accompany this work.
“First, get to know your story, your history, your heritage, and your community. Soak it all up,” he advises. “Be considerate of yourself and be willing to stand up against headwinds. Can’t say everything I did was easy because it was not. Opposition, pushback, disbelief, prejudice is there too.”
Mike Allen remains steadfast in his conviction. “I think we’re in a time and season where good works that we may have been involved in are simply invisible to a lot of Americans. That makes me more diligent about preservation and recognition,” he says. “I’m not afraid, I won’t be silenced. You shouldn’t be either.”
By Zach Bjur, Conservation Voters of South Carolina
April 2, 2024
Introduce yourself! Tell us a little about you. How did you get started in your advocacy?
My name is Zach Bjur and I am the Land, Water, Ocean Project Manager for Conservation Voters of South Carolina. I’ve been interested in politics and the process of government from an early age, and I’ve always been an avid amateur naturalist. In school I pursued both passions and got degrees in Political Science and Biology. My first job out of college was with Organizing for America working on President Obama’s 2012 campaign. After the election, I worked at the South Carolina Aquarium and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Both positions focused on public outreach and education about our natural resources, educating people to inform their own advocacy. Then, in 2019, I co founded a multimedia project called Apparent Winds that highlighted local climate change and marine science research and advocacy efforts in communities around the world. When the COVID pandemic changed the course of that project, I came home to SC and focused my efforts on environmental advocacy at the state level via my position with Conservation Voters of South Carolina.
What is your area of expertise and what are you knowledgeable about specifically? Aka tell us what your superpower is and why people should listen to your advice!
My background is in grassroots organizing and community outreach and education, both in the political sphere and the sciences. I have been doing this work for nearly 10 years and the foundation of all of it is building trust. Relationships are built on trust and trust can only be fostered through meaningful time spent with community, listening, and empowering others.
What kind of historic preservation projects have you worked on?
One of our most exciting projects at CVSC is our Rosenwald Schools Protection Network initiative. We learned about Rosenwald Schools as we attempted to identify non-traditional conservation targets that could broaden the impact of land protection in our state. These schools and the land they sit on are often still in the heart of rural and under resourced communities they once served. These sites are increasingly under development pressure which threatens the stories they hold. Protecting these sites not only promotes public greenspace access, it supports historic preservation and community revitalization in these underserved communities around the state.
How does your work in advocacy intersect with preserving Black historic spaces?
At CVSC we believe all land tells a story and we want to be cognizant of which stories we’re protecting with our land protection advocacy efforts. Black historic spaces have been long overlooked by conservation advocacy efforts and we are intent on changing that narrative. We want land and historic sites that are important to the Black community to be prioritized in state advocacy work so that the protected lands in our state reflect the diverse interests of all South Carolinians.
What do African American preservation projects need to know about advocacy?
Building coalitions that weave together diverse stakeholders is the best way to build enduring projects. Preserving African American history has potential benefits for historic preservation, conservation, economic development, tourism, and more. Identifying those benefits and clearly communicating them paves the way for partnerships across sectors which in turn strengthens advocacy efforts.
What do people need to know about advocacy? (how do you get political actors to listen to you?)
Advocacy comes down to storytelling. How can you present your movement in a way that connects with people? Political actors are people just like you and me, and unless you can build that personal connection that gives them a reason to be invested, you won’t get far. Understanding how your project connects to people is key. What are the impacts? What is the legacy? Why should people care?
If someone asked for your advice on the first step they should take in advocating for their historic preservation project – what would you say?
Relationship building is the foundation for any advocacy effort. Relationships with state and local officials, non-profits, and community advocates are all necessary for a successful project. Strong partnerships increase capacity and impact. By seeking out and embracing non-traditional partnerships that complement your team’s strengths and weaknesses you can multiply your efforts and find greater success.
What steps would you recommend for people who are not a professional or expert in advocacy work?
First off, trust yourself. The best advocates are the people closest to the issue who can speak passionately about their project. Decision makers at all levels of government are meant to respond to the needs of their constituents so don’t be bashful when getting your message to them. That being said, it can be intimidating to step into unfamiliar spaces, so find partners and organizations who know how to operate in these spaces to help you hone your message and amplify your voice.
What is the single most important or impactful thing you can do in advocacy?
Being authentic is the most powerful tool in an advocate’s tool box. Whatever has driven you to work on a project – share that. Share your passion, it is contagious. When an advocate comes from a place of authenticity, not only can it help build your coalition it magnifies the impact of your message to those that need to hear it.
Additional insight or advice …?
CVSC has been advocating at the state level for 20 years. We strive to be a trusted resource for advocacy at the Statehouse and have built strong relationships with our state decision-makers. If you have a project that you think we could partner on, please reach out!
