This past Monday, Mayor John Tecklenburg and Verna Eggleston, launched the premiere of the “Hands to Heritage” short film about sweetgrass baskets.
“Hands to Heritage” is based on the program created in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies to bring economic opportunities to the basket weavers of South Carolina. This program is a step in the City of Charleston’s reconciliation to heal from slavery.
The short film outlines the history of Charleston’s sweetgrass basket weaving industry. The story brings viewers through the weave of Gullah culture coming from West Africa to Charleston and how it lives on today in our city.
Peace baskets were created through this program, and one set was given from Charleston to Rwanda’s central government. The other basket set is permanently on display at the Charleston International Airport.