Cultural History Fundraiser featuring the Charleston Symphony

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission’s (CCPRC) nonprofit partner, the Charleston County Parks Foundation, will host an Evening at McLeod on Saturday, Sept. 28. This fundraising event, held at McLeod Plantation Historic Site, benefits the foundation’s Cultural History Fund.

From 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Evening at McLeod will offer drinks, light hors d’oeuvres from Carolima’s Lowcountry Cuisine, and will feature local African American artists. A highlight of the event will be a performance from the Charleston Symphony Brass ensemble, who will play musical selections to accompany the powerful story of Mr. William Dawson and his transition from slavery to freedom to military service. Alphonso Brown and the Mt. Zion Spiritual Singers will also perform throughout the evening.

William Dawson was an enslaved man who lived with his family at McLeod Plantation. He and nine others self-emancipated in 1862. Guests to the event will hear the amazing story of Mr. Dawson and his life during and after his time at McLeod Plantation.

Evening at McLeod is a fundraiser in support of the Charleston County Parks Foundation’s Cultural History Fund. This fund aids cultural and historical research, preservation, interpretation, and education for diverse audiences with an emphasis on underrepresented histories at this site and throughout Charleston County Parks.

Tickets are $75 per person and include drinks and food. Purchase tickets online here. For more information on Evening at McLeod, visit www.CharlestonCountyParksFoundation.org (direct link).

Located on James Island, McLeod Plantation Historic Site is one of our nation’s foremost locations for interpreting the African American transition to freedom in Charleston and the American South. McLeod Plantation is a former sea island cotton plantation and a 37-acre site important for its significant Gullah Geechee history, and was opened as a Charleston County Park and historic site in 2015. After years of careful research and restoration, McLeod today is a living tribute to the men and women who persevered in their efforts to achieve freedom, equality and justice. Visitors embark upon an in-depth exploration of the lives of those people whose stories are essential to understanding Charleston’s complex past and helped shape who we, as a nation, are today. For more information on the site, visit ccprc.com/McLeod.