Meetings and Events
Chapter Meetings of the Charleston Chapter are usually held at 2:30 pm on the 3rd Sunday of the month (with some exceptions for holidays). There are no meetings in June, July or August. Please check the events calendar to verify whether a meeting will be virtual (participation via Zoom) or will be held in-person.
Board Meetings of the Charleston Chapter are usually held by Zoom at 7:00 PM on Thursdays, but dates vary so please check our events calendar below. Contact any board member if you would like to participate or have a topic to discuss at a board meeting.
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September 2020 Chapter Meetings
September 20, 2020 @ 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
“Slave Traders in the Family: Discovering my Roots” – a Zoom presentation by Chapter member Margaret Seidler. Please contact us if you would like to participate.
For 65 years, Margaret has believed her descendants were poor German immigrants living in Charleston’s Eastside from the 1850s. Then, she discovers much deeper Charleston roots, three additional generations, and a VERY different narrative. In truth, her family plays a large role in the slave trade business spanning more than 90 years. Like never before, Margaret’s family research shines a bright light on Charleston’s domestic slave trade business. Her 4th great-grandfather, William Payne, makes an entire career on Broad Street, brokering the sale of local enslaved people. Slave trading was big business both in her family and across all of Charleston. Margaret has two hopes as she reveals this groundbreaking research: first, telling a more complete history of Charleston’s business system and, second, offering a portal for African Americans to trace their enslaved ancestors from more than 1100 newspaper ads.