The Anson Street African Burial Memorial dedication honors 36 African ancestors uncovered in 2013 near the Gaillard Center, marking over a decade of community-led research and preservation.​
Memorial Features
Sculptor Stephen Hayes Jr. designed 36 pairs of bronze hands emerging from the soil where the ancestors were reinterred, reflecting their ages, genders, and ancestries. Each pair is backed by a water stream, honoring Gullah Geechee traditions, with soil gathered from Charleston burial grounds by community members. This symbolizes the broader legacy of those impacted by the transatlantic slave trade in Charleston’s history.​
Event Details
The free dedication ceremony occurs Sunday, December 14, 2025, at 2 p.m. outside the Gaillard Center at 4 George St. Project leaders like La’Sheia Oubre and Joanna Gilmore emphasize community engagement, which has involved over 5,000 people through education and events. It also informs efforts at sites like Coming Street burial ground.​
