Penn Center (South Carolina)

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The Penn Center, or originally called as Penn School, is an African-American cultural and educational center in the Corners Community, on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. the Penn Center founded in 1862 and was a home to the first academic school for freed slaves. Today, it is one of the most important African-American historical and cultural institutions in existence, and continues to be committed to the preservation of the Gullah culture[1].

Background

Northern missionaries and abolitionists Laura Towne and Ellen Murray established Penn School in 1862 to educate newly freed slaves in Sea Island. It was one of the first schools built for former slaves in the United States. The Penn School, established as part of the "Port Royal Experiment", was a model school in the South.[2] Their purpose is to help the abandoned slaves prepare for freedom by teaching them how to study and survive economically. They named the school in honor of the state, and the state was named after the Quaker activist William Penn.

By the early 1900s, it had adopted Booker Washington’s industrial training model. The focus of the model is to teach black people industries, such as crops and woodworking, to help them earn a living. The school has been teaching students until the mid-twentieth century. At this time, after 86 years of study, the school shifted its focus and began to provide community services, such as day care and health training. There are many reasons for this change. One of the reasons is that black families moved northward, leading to a decline in enrollment. Another important reason is that the state and county governments of South Carolina finally began to take steps to provide black children with more comprehensive education. Before 1948, the public school system was only required to provide seventh grade education for blacks.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference often met in the center of Pennsylvania. The center was a rare retreat where members of both races can meet peacefully without being threatened or harmed.[3]

In 1990 Penn Center placed on “most endangered historic places” list by National Trust for Historic Preservation; mission focused on promoting and preserving Gullah cultural assets.[4]

The school preserves the history and culture of many African Americans on the island through collections, historical documents, oral history, records and handicrafts.[2]

External Link

Penn Center Official Website.

References

  1. PENN CENTER. Beaufort. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Penn Center National Historic Landmark. South Carolina. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  3. PENN CENTER – ST. HELENA ISLAND, BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. SCIWAY. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  4. A TIMELINE OF OUR HISTORY. Penn Center. Retrieved January 31, 2021.