Slavery to Civil Rights



The African-American Story of Charleston



With Alec Cooley and Ruth M. Miller





Self-Guided Tour Book



"If I told you I received a 37-page paperback with a cover price of $20, would you be surprised? What if I told you it's worth every penny? Slavery to Civil Rights: A Walking Tour of African-American Charleston by Alec Cooley and Ruth Miller merits reading even if you never go to Charleston."


-Caroline McCullagh, Mensa Bulletin: The Magazine of American Mensa, March 2020


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We're proud to have published the most complete and well researched guide to African-American history in Charleston. We invite you to look beyond the grand architecture and stories of Charleston society to learn about the enslaved and free persons of color whose skills and labor made the city's rise possible. Discover the individuals and events that helped bring the African-American community out of the shadows to assert its dignity, civil rights and essential role making Charleston the vibrant city it is today.


The guidebook is available to purchase at most tourist shops and museums in Charleston. To purchase bulk copies at a wholesale, email: aleccooley@comcast.net.

  • Retail: $20 + tax and shipping.
  • Wholesale: $12 (min. 20 copies)

Learn about other local Charleston history books written by Ruth Miller by visiting www.lowcountryinc.com



Private Guided Tour



Join Ruth or Alec on a personal, private walking tour of African-American Charleston. Based on our extensive research, we will lead you through the historic city past sites that tell a rich story of black America. Stand at the site were thousands of the enslaved were sold. Learn how the city's historic homes once functioned as small urban plantations. Touch the slave-made bricks that built this city. Walk historic Charleston with new eyes as we relate its history from a seldom heard perspective.


To arrange a guided tour or presentation, email r.m.miller@mindspring.com.







Live Presentation



"Thank you again for the excellent program last Saturday… People just loved it. A patron who had attended came up to me a few days after and said ‘That was brilliant! That program.’ I've heard nothing but praise.”


-Marianne Cawley, South Carolina Room Manager, Charleston County Public Library


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Charleston, South Carolina was the center of the English slave trade. 40% of the enslaved sold in the thirteen colonies were sold here. Alec and Ruth offer a presentation that tells the story of historic Charleston from the perspective of African-Americans' experience. During our chronologically organized talk, you will view seldom seen engravings, paintings and photographs that tell a story that has been lost and buried through time. By the conclusion of our presentation, you will have a new and important understanding of African-American history.





Sample of The People & Events Covered



RObert Smalls



Jenkins Orphanage Band



Briggs v Elliott



Gadsden's wharf



1969 Hospital strike



Edwin Harleston



Nameless enslaved



septima clark