Committee on Commemoration & Landscapes

About Us

Formed in 2020, the Committee on Commemoration & Landscapes shares the history of the College of Charleston and the lands and historic structures on our campus. President Andrew T. Hsu, the 23rd president of the College of Charleston, has charged our committee with creating interpretive signage that presents complete and accurate information about the College of Charleston, and that communicates our commitment to truth-telling and our 21st-century values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We explore the diverse communities that have lived in our neighborhood in the past. We tell their stories through exterior signage, interpretive panels in interior campus spaces, online essays, and in-person experiences such as walking tours of our campus.

Through these projects, we showcase our institution’s collective commitment to the truth, of making all peoples seen and heard, so that everyone feels that they belong.

College of Charleston President Andrew Hsu

Untold History, Revealed

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One of the Committee of Commemoration and Landscapes' Untold Stories walking tours.

Discovering Our Past

Discovering our Past is a free app and website that functions as a peer-reviewed public history publication and digital walking tour, managed by the Committee on Commemoration and Landscapes. The ever-growing site allows individuals to explore the College of Charleston's colorful history and the physical landmarks associated with it. Discovering our Past provides a comprehensive look at the history of the college, and the lives of people who were welcomed--and exluded-- by it. 

If you are interested in learning more about Discovering our Past, you can access the official Discovering our Past website using the link below.

Discovering Our Past

Our Emblem

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The Committee on Commemoration and Landscapes' emblem incorporates patterns found on our campus and in Charleston, in ornamental ironwork created by both African and European artisans. The outer circle reflects sweetgrass basket-making traditions practiced by indigenous and African-American people. The heart shape of the pattern is a Sankofa, an Adinkra symbol. In the language of the Akan people of Ghana, Sankofa means "Return and Fetch It", reflecting the Akan proverb "Sewo were fin a wosankofa a yenki", or "it is not a taboo to return to fetch something that you forgot earlier on". This concept is echoed in the motto on the CCL emblem, "Learning from the Past".

Membership

The Committee on Commemoration & Landscapes has a dedicated and diverse membership of faculty, staff, and students. Members attend monthly meetings and contribute to our research and interpretive installations as their schedules allow. At any time, we have multiple unique and active projects that our members are undertaking. If you are interested in becoming a member with the CCL and working on any of the current projects, please contact the co-chairs.

Julia Eichelberger - eichelbergerj@cofc.edu

Valerie Frazier - frazierv@cofc.edu