Savannah, GA

Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
DESCRIPTION: Its mission is to educate the public on Savannah's rich African-American heritage from the earliest years until today; Dr Ralph Mark Gilbert was a famous orator, pastor of First African Baptist Church, playwright of religious dramas and founded the local NAACP chapter to earn his stripes as a Civil rights Movement veteran; the papers and memorabilia of museum's namesake, as well as a sequence of 15 areas that re-create the profound impact of the Civil Right Movement in Savannah are on display; the building was erected in 1914 as the Wage Earners Savings and Loan Bank for Black Savannahians - the largest Black bank in the country at the time

ADMISSION: Adults $8, Seniors $6, Students $4

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 9a-5p

ADDRESS: 460 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd  MAP

PHONE: 912-231-8900

WEBSITE: http://www.savcivilrights.com

African American Families Monument
DESCRIPTION: Inspired by the vision of Dr. Abigail Jordan and backed by the Consortium of Doctors (Black women physicians, college administrators, and PhDs) who contributed time and funds to this 11-year project; a larger-than-life bronze statue of a four-member nuclear family sits atop a granite base inscribed with the words of poet Maya Angelou; sculpted by Savannah College of Art and Design professor Dorothy Spradley, the monument honors African American families and the strength that bore them through slavery to freedom

ADDRESS: Hyatt Hotel on River Street  MAP

WEBSITE: http://www.consortiumofdoctors.com/monument.html

 

Haitians Aiding U.S. Revolutionary War Monument

DECRIPTION: In 2007, this monument was dedicated to unsung contributors to American independence, Haitian soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War's battle for Savannah; in 1779, 545 free Haitians volunteered to help American colonists and French troops in an unsuccessful battle to drive the British from coastal Georgia; more than 300 allied soldiers were gunned down charging British fortifications; this battle is a point of national pride for Haitians because solders like Henri Christophe, who later became King of Haiti, developed the confidence to fight for their own independence from France in 1804; the monument is located in Battlefield Park Heritage Center
ADDRESS: 303 Martin Luther King Blvd  MAP

King-Tisdell Cottage
DESCRIPTION: A beautifully restored 1896 Victorian cottage, named for local African-American citizens Eugene and Sarah King and Mrs. King's second husband, Robert Tisdell, is a museum that highlights the contributions of African Americans to Georgia and the nation's history

ADMISSION: event dependent

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 12-5p, Sun 1p-4p

ADDRESS: 514 East Huntingdon Street  MAP

PHONE: 912-234-8000

WEBSITE: http://www.kingtisdell.org

Beach Institute - African American Cultural Center
DESCRIPTION: Established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association to educate Savannah's newly freed citizens of African descent, the institute showcases African-American arts and crafts, most notably the striking hand-carved wooden sculptures by Ulysses Davis

ADMISSION: event dependent

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 12p-5p

ADDRESS: 502 East Harris Street  MAP

PHONE: 912-234-8000

WEBSITE: http://www.kingtisdell.org

Savannah State University
DESCRIPTION: Established in 1890 as the Georgia Industrial College for Colored Youths, Savannah State is one of the original African American land-grant colleges, and was the state's first public institution of higher learning established for African Americans; now a part of the University System of Georgia

ADDRESS: 3119 College Street  MAP

PHONE: 912-356-2186

WEBSITE: http://www.savstate.edu