Slavery to Civil Rights

"Slavery to Civil Rights: A Walking Tour of African-American Charleston by Alec Cooley and Ruth Miller merits reading even if you never go to Charleston."

-Caroline McCullagh, Mensa Bulletin: The Magazine of American Mensa, March 2020

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We invite you to look beyond the grand architecture and stories of Charleston society to learn about the enslaved and free persons of color whose skills and labor made the city's rise possible. Discover the individuals and events that helped bring the African-American community out of the shadows to assert its dignity, civil rights and essential role making Charleston the vibrant city it is today.

Purchase the Guidebook

Order online through the Preservation Society of Charleston's online shop: https://thepscshop.com

The guidebook is also available to purchase at most tourist shops and museums in Charleston. For wholesale purchases (minimum 20 copies), email: aleccooley@comcast.net.

Learn about other local Charleston history books written by Ruth Miller by visiting https://lowcountryinc.com

Join Ruth on a personal, private walking tour of African-American Charleston. Based on our extensive research, we will lead you through the historic city past sites that tell a rich story of black America. Stand at the site were thousands of the enslaved were sold. Learn how the city's historic homes once functioned as small urban plantations. Touch the slave-made bricks that built this city. Walk historic Charleston with new eyes as we relate its history from a seldom heard perspective.

To arrange a guided tour or presentation, email r.m.miller@mindspring.com.

"Thank you again for the excellent program last Saturday… People just loved it. A patron who had attended came up to me a few days after and said ‘That was brilliant! That program.’ I've heard nothing but praise.”

-Marianne Cawley, South Carolina Room Manager, Charleston County Public Library

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Charleston, South Carolina was the center of the English slave trade. 40% of the enslaved sold in the thirteen colonies were sold here. Alec and Ruth offer a presentation that tells the story of historic Charleston from the perspective of African-Americans' experience. During our chronologically organized talk, you will view seldom seen engravings, paintings and photographs that tell a story that has been lost and buried through time. By the conclusion of our presentation, you will have a new and important understanding of African-American history.