African American Cultural Attractions
Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum – Named for the father of Savannah’s modern civil rights struggle, Rev. Ralph Mark Gilbert, the museum is Savannah’s only civil rights museum and one of only five in the entire south. The museum is housed in the former Wage Earners Bank building that was built in 1914 and was one of the first African-American banks. The museum’s greatest advocate and founder was W.W. Law, a preservationist and historian. Through the use of interactive exhibits, recreated civil rights settings, and guided and narrated tours, visitors gain deep insight into the tragedy and triumph of Savannah’s civil rights movement. 460 Martin Luther King Blvd., 912.231.8900; tours 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday.
Beach Institute – The American Missionary Association and the Savannah Education Association built Beach Institute in 1867 for the education of black children, and it is Georgia’s oldest, continuously standing school for blacks. Named for Alfred E. Beach, editor of the Scientific Magazine and donor for the land purchase upon which the building stands, Beach Institute functioned as a school until 1970. Today the structure is operated by the King-Tisdell Cottage foundation and features local and national art exhibits including a collection by renowned wood carver, Ulysses Davis. 502 E. Harris St., 912.234.8000; tours at noon and 2 pm Tuesday through Saturday.
King-Tisdell Cottage – This small, 1890s Victorian cottage is named after Eugene and Sarah King and Mrs. King’s second husband, Robert Tisdell. Since 1981 the cottage has served as a cultural museum of African-American arts and crafts and houses many historical documents such as the Emancipation Proclamation, General Sherman’s Field Order #15 (40 acres and a mule to freed blacks), and an original slave bill of sale. The basement of the cottage features a collection of household items an average, black middle-class household would have had between 1874 and 1950. 514 E. Huntington St., 912.234.8000; thours at noon and 2:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.
Savannah State University – This historically black university was the first public institution of higher learning for blacks in the state of Georgia. Founded on Nov. 26, 1890, as the Georgia Industrial College for Colored Youths, Savannah State University is one of the original 1890 Morrill Land-Grant colleges. Currently, the University is situated on 165 acres of beautiful marsh-front property. 3219 College St., 912.356.2187; tours 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday; summer tours are 10:00 am or 1:00 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
African American Families Monument – Local artist and professor Dorothy Spradley created this larger-than-life, bronze-and-granite monument to African-American families, on Rousakis Plaza near the west end of River St. It shows two adults and two children standing with broken chains at their feet. The base is inscribed with Maya Angelou’s words depicting the horrors of a slave ship voyage, but ending on a note of hope. River Street.
Owens-Thomas House Slave Quarters – Architectural historians consider the Owens-Thomas House America’s finest example of Regency architecture. Built in 1819, the home includes a rare example of intact urban slave quarters. These quarters retain original “haint blue” paint, used to repel evil spirits, and display important African-American textiles, ceramics and furniture from the highly regarded Acacia Collection. 124 Abercorn St., 912.233.9743; tours noon-5:00 pm, Monday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Sunday.
Yamacraw Public Art Park – Yamacraw Square is the first square to be dedicated to the African American and American Indian history in Savannah’s Yamacraw area. The art represents the pride, cultural heritage and community spirit of the space. Yamacraw Square.
