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Articles by: Charleston Currents

FOCUS: Magnolia Plantation to host Underground Railroad conference

By Herb Frazier | Scholars, living historians and enslaved descendants will gather Nov. 3 at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens to show that the Underground Railroad was more than a network of secret routes to northern states and Canada that enslaved Africans followed to freedom.

Through exhibits, performances and demonstrations, presenters will reveal that the Underground Railroad also included rebellion, maroon communities and people escaping south to Florida and beyond.

“We Are One”
“Uncovering the Underground Railroad: Perspectives in Freedom” will be held Nov. 3 at Magnolia. The Slave Dwelling Project, South Carolina Humanities and the National Park Service have joined with Magnolia to sponsor this event designed to dispel commonly-held beliefs about the Underground Railroad.

by Charleston Currents · 10/15/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

MYSTERY PHOTO: Pastoral scene

This could be a pastoral scene from jolly old England … but it’s not. It’s in South Carolina, but where? [Hint: It’s pretty far from the Lowcountry.] Send your guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo: Our Oct. 8 mystery, a screaming eagle, is Winthrop University’s mascot … and is portrayed prominently in bronze on the university’s Rock Hill campus.

by Charleston Currents · 10/15/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Mystery Photo, Photos

FOCUS: Two local harvest festivals set for coming weeks

Staff reports | You know that Halloween is around the corner with the approach of local harvest festivals. Two are on the way — North Charleston’s on Oct. 20, followed by a similar event Nov. 3 by Charleston County Parks at the Johns Island County Park.

North Charleston event set for Oct. 20

North Charleston’s 6th annual Harvest Festival will feature live musical performances, an artist market, costume contests, trick-or-treat on the street, a pop-up pumpkin patch, children’s activities, and more. The fall festivities will take place in the Olde Village of North Charleston, located on East Montague Avenue near Park Circle, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 20. Admission and parking are free. East Montague Avenue will close to vehicular traffic from Jenkins Avenue to Virginia Avenue at 2 p.m. and remain closed for the duration of the event.

by Charleston Currents · 10/08/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: C of C to host discussion on political civility

Staff reports | The College of Charleston will host a political discussion entitled The Great Divide: Political Civility Past and Present at 6 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Sottile Theatre.

Political veterans from across the Carolinas will share stories of controversy and collaboration in policymaking as well as their experiences in working across the aisle for the good of the country. The discussion will allow for reflection on how politics has changed over time, from an era of cooperation to an era of conflict.

by Charleston Currents · 10/08/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

MYSTERY PHOTO: Big, scary bird?

This might not be a good bird to encounter at any time. But what — and where — is it? Hint: It’s in South Carolina, not not a leisurely drive from Charleston. Send your guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo: r Oct. 1 mystery proved to be tough. It wasn’t the tops of buildings along Colonial Lake or the Battery in Charleston. But it did show the top of buildings along King Street at the corner of Society Street.

by Charleston Currents · 10/08/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Mystery Photo, Photos

10/8, full issue: Harvest festivals; Doing what’s right; Neighbors

FOCUS: Two harvest festivals set for coming weeks COMMENTARY, Brack: Doing the right thing for South Carolina IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Titan Termite & Pest Control MY TURN, Saul: Reject president’s course of not loving thy neighbor GOOD NEWS: College of Charleston to host discussion on political civility FEEDBACK: Send us your comments … share your thoughts MYSTERY PHOTO: Big, scary […]

by Charleston Currents · 10/08/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Full issue, Uncategorized

Image courtesy of Adam Boozer. On Instagram here.

FOCUS: Paddlers surround Crab Bank rookery

Staff reports | U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., and conservationists on Sunday surrounded Crab Bank, an eroding spit at the mouth Shem Creek, to illustrate how it should be protected as a seabird sanctuary.

Renourishment of the rookery may be the only way to save it, according to this story. In March, Sanford and other congressmen sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting that the Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary be included in as a pilot project for revitalization.

In a statement, he said, “At just 2 percent of its original size, the Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary is in danger of disappearing altogether. Interestingly, however, restoring the Crab Bank may be as easy as looking to its formation. Indeed, in the 1950s, the Crab Bank was formed from sediment dredged from the Charleston harbor. With the Charleston Deepening Project well on its way, it seems like the perfect time to rebuild.

by Charleston Currents · 10/01/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo via Flickr.

10/1, full issue: On Crab Bank; Lessons learned; New Palmetto Poem

IN THIS ISSUE of Charleston Currents #10.47

FOCUS: Paddlers surround Crab Bank sanctuary
COMMENTARY, Brack: Lessons from 17 years of offering S.C. commentaries
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston Gaillard Center
PALMETTO POEM, Rutledge: On the Fourth Day
FEEDBACK: Send us your comments … share your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Might be easy, but might not
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Santee National Wildlife Refuge
CALENDAR: Sign up to host a Lowcountry On the Table gathering

by Charleston Currents · 10/01/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Full issue

Image courtesy City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs

FOCUS: 35th annual MOJA Festival starts Thursday

Staff reports | Eleven days of fun, exciting events ranging from dance, music and theatre that celebrate African-American and Caribbean arts are about to take off.

The 35th annual MOJA Arts Festival launches Thursday and will run through Oct. 7 with a rich variety of traditional favorites that make the festival continue as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s 20 top events of the year. Even better: Nearly half of MOJA’s events are admission-free, and the remainder are offered at modest ticket prices.

“Moja,” a Swahili word meaning “one,” is the appropriate name for this festival celebration of harmony among all people in our community, according to the festival’s website.

by Charleston Currents · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Small grants available to spark your great idea

Staff reports | Lowcountry On the Table, the community-wide discussion held at hundreds of locations across the region on Oct .4, will offer “Spark Grants” of up to $500 to people who want a little help to get a great idea going.

And it’s pretty darned easy to apply. Instead of being burdened with a bunch of bureaucratic mumbo jumbo, all you have to do is make a short video on your cell phone of what you want to do and send it to the fine folks at Lowcountry On the Table.

by Charleston Currents · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs