8 Photos that Capture African-American History in Liberty County

History is the foundation of every community, and we are lucky enough to have lots of it here in Liberty County! Several of our historic sites provide a look into the lives of the influential African Americans who gained their freedom from enslavement and fought for civil rights right here in our community.  We got some photos together that will showcase how this heritage has uniquely shaped our community into what it is today! Keep scrolling to see the images.

Dorchester Academy & Museum of African-American History

Location: 8787 E. Oglethorpe Highway in Midway

Hours: Book a tour by making an appointment. Contact them by phone at 912-884-2347 for more info

Admission: No Fee, Donations Welcome

Dorchester Academy is one of only 11 stops in Georgia on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail based on its importance during the Civil Rights Movement. This historic school came to life in 1871 by the American Missionary Association as a school for freed slaves. By 1917, the fully accredited high school had an enrollment of 300 students.

In the 1940s, the former school was established as Dorchester Cooperative Center. It then became an institute for community development and political and social change. The Liberty County Citizen’s Council was founded in 1946 and helped register and organize African American voters. The jars of jelly beans placed throughout the historic site are used to show how African Americans were kept from voting. African American voters were supposed to guess the number of jelly beans that were in the jar and if they guessed the wrong number they weren’t allowed to vote.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent lots of time at Dorchester Academy. He played baseball with the students and was accompanied by several other key figures in the Civil Rights Movement including Dr. Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young and Dr. Fred Shuttlesworth. Dorchester Academy prepared for “Project C” which would be later memorialized as the infamous Birmingham March, one of the first major victories in the Civil Rights Movement.

Historic Baptismal Trail

Location: 8808 E. B. Cooper Highway in Riceboro

Hours: Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. & Saturdays & Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact: City of Riceboro at 912-884-2986

Admission: No Fee. Guide Yourself!

For almost 100 years this site was an active holy place where the ancestors of the local Geechee communities baptized new members into their faith. The site features a short walk down a tree-lined path that leads to a boardwalk, benches and picnic tables as well as interpretive signage regarding the surrounding natural habitat and the historical significance of the site.

Oral and written church history from the surviving descendants of the First African Baptist Church indicate that as early as the 1840s this site was used as a place where ritual Christian baptism was performed by leaders of a congregation of enslaved people. Pictured is the area of the site that was used as the original baptismal pool. This creek is what members of the congregation call the “pool.”

Geechee Kunda Cultural Arts Center & Museum

Location: 622 Ways Temple Road in Riceboro

Hours: Contact the site directly for this information.

Contact: Call 912-884-4440

Geechee Kunda is located on lands where the rice, cotton and indigo-producing Retreat Plantation once stood. The center was created as an effort to preserve and perpetuate the knowledge of African cultural elements in the United States.

It also recognizes all of the individuals who contributed! Geechee Kunda has permanent and rotating exhibits that cover a broad spectrum of subjects and allow visitors to explore various aspects of continental and diaspora African culture.

We are #LibertyCountyProud of our roots. #ExploreLiberty to be a part of living history and experience each site for yourself! Looking for other ways to experience African-American culture in Liberty County? Support some of our black-owned businesses.