by Chaela Morris
Charleston was founded in 1670 and until 1865, African Americans were kept as slaves.
Charleston has since blossomed into a beautiful destination where couples and families love to visit.
With thousands flocking to the stores of King Street or the vendors on Market, you might wonder if the real history of Charleston is being ignored.
"It has this really interesting tourist attraction, right? Beaches, beauty, all of these things. But the reality of Charleston is it is the hub of slavery in America, in North America," said Sandy Slater, a history professor at the College of Charleston. "And that story is more and a much more painful history than just going to look at pretty plantations."
It’s time we look at the city of Charleston as more than just the perfect place to travel.
"It’s such a historical city. Everywhere you go there’s a marker, there’s a story, there’s a narrative," Slater said. "Forty percent of enslaved Africans came through the port of Charleston, so we have to see Charleston.”