Who is Captain Robert Smalls?

Sun and fun to everyone!

We took a trip to Beaufort, SC to visit the home of Captain Robert Smalls!

Robert Smalls was born in April, 1839, in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was a fascinating man! Born into slavery, he went on to purchase his freedom, and the freedom of his family.

Captain Robert Smalls, an American Hero!

His legacy is one that lives on in Beaufort, SC. The house where he was enslaved became his home after he later purchased it. It’s still a beautiful house today, and we were privileged to be able to see it.

The once enslaved Robert Smalls, became Captain Smalls after he commandeered a Confederate ship. He sailed the “Planter” into Union territory, he turned over the charts, Confederate naval code book, and the ship itself.

A replica of the Planter ship Smalls commandeered.

This was no easy feat. You see he was hired as a deckhand, and because he was a black man, he was not taught how to sail. He was left only to guard and load the ship.

When he commandeered the Planter, he sailed past five ports. He had to give the correct whistle signals to indicate a Confederate ship. He had studied and listened day after day.

Smalls not only sailed the ship with himself aboard, he also took his wife, children, and twelve others, who were enslaved.

After this major feat, Smalls went on to become Captain Robert Smalls. He was the first black man to hold this rank in US Navy history!

Capt. Smalls went into politics, and was elected to the SC House of Representatives and then the Senate.

This is the actual desk of Captain Smalls!

Touching history at it's finest...

After years in politics, Capt. Smalls settled back home to Beaufort, where he resided and purchased the house where he was once enslaved. He died in Beaufort in February 1915.

A replica of Captain Smalls home in Beaufort, SC. 

Captain Robert Smalls, a BIG man in history!

Why is this not taught in public schools?

Our plans, His hands.

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Historic Charleston SC

Sun and fun to everyone!

Another great visit, this time to Downtown, Charleston. We visited a place called The Market.
I'll let the pictures tell the story!

Our first stop. The "sweetgrass" baskets! We watched her weave a basket.
What talent and patience.

Meet Mrs. Jefferson, the Master basket weaver!
She's been weaving baskets since she was a little girl.

These baskets have a history deep in the Gullah Geechee tradition.
The Gullah Geechee people were from West Africa and ended up here in SC.
All of these baskets were hand made by Mrs. Jefferson.
These baskets were beautiful and very heavy!

This is a portrait of Mr. Philip Simmons, a Master Blacksmith.
His iron work and design can still be found in SC, today.
We hope to visit some of his sites before we leave.

Packed lunch at the visitors center. Saving money, that's the name of the game!

Enjoying some water works while waiting for the trolley.

Here comes the trolley!

The Market was CROWDED!!!  

Meet Sheinata! She's a jewelry and clothes designer.
She has a shop in The Market.

Can you spot Swift Walker?

All of Sheinata's jewelry is made with stones, and cowrie shells
from Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia, Africa.
Her clothe is also from Africa.
I wanted to buy everything. 

Her pieces are one of a kind and beautiful. They all tell a story.
Visit her site: www.reflectionsafricanjewelry.com  

This young man is Quadre' Stuckey, he's an artist. His work is featured
in The Market. I'll post a video about him later on.

Quadre' dropped some serious knowledge about the currency
in the early south. See the image below.
I'll most definitely post more on what I learned from him
and the book we purchased.

Watch for more about this money and the propaganda behind it!

Charleston, SC, is known for the history of the Gullah Geechee People.
The history here is priceless, and we are still learning.
I'll do a whole post on this subject later.

A ride back on the trolley. The ride to The Market was super crowded.
The ride back was pretty empty. We got to pick our seats!

Boys will be boys!

My driver, photographer, and husband. I think I'll keep him! 

Future photographer right here! 

Our time here was a learning adventure, and we got to meet more extraordinary people. There was so much to catch. I'll have to divide these posts into individual posts in order to tell the stories behind all the pictures.

Thank you for joining us on this great journey!

Our plans, His hands.

To get your Swift Walker books and products, click on the link below. Your support is much appreciated. Thank you.

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Charleston SC The Jenkins Institute

Sun and fun to everyone!

Our trip only gets better! So we ended up in Charleston, South Carolina, and wow!

About a year ago, I found a book at our local library called, Hey Charleston, the story of the Jenkins Orphange Band. I found the book again at the library here in SC.

The story is about Rev. Daniel Jenkins who founded an orphanage right here in Charleston, in 1891. Jenkins was born into slavery, and went on to do AMAZING things despite this.

Here at the Main Branch, Orangeburg County Library

This is the cover of the book. A must read!

Jenkins and his boys, created a loving home and he taught them to be self-sufficient. They had a very large farm and grew enough to eat , sell and provide enough money to be self sustaining. In addition to teaching life skills, and providing shelter, Mr. Jenkins wanted them to learn music.

With this in mind, he hired music teachers. The boys were amazing, they played and started a band. This band went on to travel the world. His boys started music called "rag".  They were the inventors of the Charleston Dance that became very popular.

What's even more amazing is that this vision still lives today, after a hundred plus years. It has a different twist. Now it's called the Jenkins Institute for Children.

Rev. Daniel Joseph Jenkins

The Jenkins Orphanage Band!

After reading the book again to the children, I found the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston. We visited there and met people I'll never forget.

One very special lady, Ms. Carrington, gave us the most profound history lessons, not just about Jenkins and his Band, but about Charleston's rich African history. This little lady has done everything, been on every committee and knows everyone!

Her knowledge was so vast, I thought I would pass out from overload. I wanted to sit in that pavilion and listen to her all day long. She is a true Historian, and passionate about it in every way.

We spoke of issues of race. Her words, although I heard them before, stuck to me. She said, we as people have a different ethnicity, but there's only one race, the human race.

This is Gretchen. I scheduled our visit through her.

This is the "larger than life" Ms. Carrington, the great Historian.

This lady  here dropped some serious knowledge also. Meet Dr. Nicole Gainyard!

This beautiful tree is on campus. We could not pass this picture up.

Another great shot of planes flying over during our history lesson.

The actual bell used to call the children in to eat.

The back campus. Lots of trees, breeze and beauty.

More of the campus.

New friends, Carol and Henry. They work with Fields to Families, delivering fresh food to the community.
Visit their site:  www.fieldstofamilies.org

This same Ms. Crrington, I speak of, knew the Reverend that was recently slain in his church, along with eight others, in Charleston. She spoke very tenderly of him. She said he helped her when others could not get the job done.  They were friends. Clearly, we still have a ways to go.

What a most fascinating visit!  We met other great, amazing people on this day. The hope is that we will stay connected.

The pictures here are part 1 of this visit. I encourage everyone to find this book and read it to your children, or to a child in your life.

Beautiful ending to a beautiful day with Ms. Carrington and the Jenkins Institute for Children

Our plans, His hands.

For more information about Rev. Jenkins, the Jenkins Band, and the Jenkins Institute for Children, click on the link below.

www.jenkinsinstitute.org

To purchase Swift Walker books and other products click on the link below. Thank you! Your support is greatly appreciated.


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