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.
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| Here at the Main Branch, Orangeburg County Library |
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| 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.
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| Rev. Daniel Joseph Jenkins |
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| 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.
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| This is Gretchen. I scheduled our visit through her. |
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| This is the "larger than life" Ms. Carrington, the great Historian. |
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| This lady here dropped some serious knowledge also. Meet Dr. Nicole Gainyard! |
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| This beautiful tree is on campus. We could not pass this picture up. |
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| Another great shot of planes flying over during our history lesson. |
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| The actual bell used to call the children in to eat. |
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| The back campus. Lots of trees, breeze and beauty. |
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| More of the campus. |
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| 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.
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| 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
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http://astore.amazon.com/
