“A History Denied – Preserving Tangible Evidences of Slave Dwellings”

Sleeping Bag in the slave cabin at Hopsewee Plantation

The Slave Dwelling Project was developed out of my desire to bring much needed attention to extant structures that once housed enslaved African Americans. I began sleeping in extant slave dwellings in 2010. The popularity of this simple act has not allowed me to keep this Project within the boundaries of the state of South Carolina as I had originally intended. Along this journey, I have been joined by descendants of the enslaved and slave owners in 70 sites throughout this nation. These “sleepovers” have occurred in the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Although I have enjoyed spending time with those who have joined me in these dwellings, my most inspiring group of roommates are the youth along with their chaperones, as they are the guardians of tomorrow’s history.

Slave Cabin at Hopsewee Plantation

Our concept is simple: find out where slave dwellings are and ask the owners for permission to sleep in them. I am humbled at all of the owners that have said ‘yes’. I am grateful for all the attention these stays have garnered to make the public aware that there are hundreds of extant slave dwellings throughout the United States that need to be preserved. To this end, our Project is opening new doors of opportunity to achieve our purpose of becoming a clearinghouse for the identification of resources to assist owners to save these extant slave dwellings for posterity.

It is again time to bring historians, faculty, universities, archeologists, construction teams, legislators, writers, artists, foundations, organizations, churches, students and the general public together to achieve our purpose.

Holly Springs

I invite each and every one of you to our 2^nd Annual SLAVE DWELLING PROJECT CONFERENCE in North Charleston, SC. If the term “ground zero” could be assigned to an area in the United States that best typifies how chattel slavery was applied to this nation, the Charleston, SC area would qualify for that title.

Arianne King Comer

Friday Gullah

Visual artist Arianne King Comer will again create and coordinate exhibits that will capture the Project’s work through an array of visual artists. Photographic exhibits of preserved and extant slave dwellings will be featured as well as photos from our stays from state to state. Conference attendees will also experience an evening tour of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a local rice plantation on the Ashley River. On Friday night, a dinner theater featuring Anita Prather and the Gullah Kinfolk is on the menu. Follow me on Facebook for special features on speakers, plenary guests, workshop and more.

Please join me and the SDP Board of Directors in North Charleston, South Carolina at the Embassy Suites, 5055 International Boulevard, October 8 – 10, 2015.

 Conference Registration

Early bird registration for the 2nd Annual Slave Dwelling Project Conference is now open. You can find general information about the conference at: http://slavedwellingproject.org/2015-slave-dwelling-project-chas/

Speaker information can be found at this link: http://slavedwellingproject.org/2015-speakers/

The conference schedule can be found at this link: http://slavedwellingproject.org/2015-sdp-conference-schedule/

If you are interested in becoming a conference sponsor, please follow this link: http://slavedwellingproject.org/become-a-sponsor/

You may register by following this link: http://slavedwellingproject.org/conference-registration/

The conference hotel is the Embassy Suites in North Charleston, SC and the link is: http://slavedwellingproject.org/hotel-information/