VOICES OF CHARLESTON
memory keepers: Portraits AND STORIES OF LIVING HISTORY
Charleston’s soul lives in the stories of its people, especially those who have witnessed its transformations yet remain absent from its postcard narratives. This project documents the lives and testimonies of Black Charlestonians through intimate portraiture and written oral histories, focusing on elders and lifelong residents. Their voices, shaped by generations of resilience, are archived here as both art and historical record.
Gentrification, cultural erasure, and the weight of the past collide in this city. But so do joy, tradition, and unbroken lineage. This project is an act of reclaiming, of listening, of ensuring that the voices of this community are not lost to time or displacement. These are not just stories. They are legacies.
Thanksgiving Dinner (2023).
Helen Fulmore
Helen Fulmore has spent most of her years in the same Silver Hill community where she was born (1945) and raised. This historic Black neighborhood, once a thriving center of Charleston's Black community, has been home to her family for generations. After raising her children in New York City during the 1960s-80s, she returned permanently to her childhood neighborhood in the 1990s, becoming one of Silver Hill's few remaining original residents as gentrification transforms the area.
Her life remains deeply connected to Midway Baptist Church, where her father served as deacon and her family has worshipped since the 1920s. Now among the congregation's eldest members and the Church Mother, Mrs. Fulmore represents both the enduring legacy and changing realities of Charleston's Black communities as historic neighborhoods like Silver Hill face unprecedented demographic shifts.
Mrs. Fulmore with her granddaughter, Anizia, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC (2023).
“The joy that I have...the world didn't give it to me and the world can't take it away.”
Mr. Washington at his home in Charleston (2024).
Born in 1931 and raised in Awendaw, South Carolina, Charles Washington has owned his home in downtown Charleston since the 1970s, a rare constant as the city evolves around him. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he has spent decades mentoring generations of Black men in Charleston, offering guidance shaped by both service and deep community ties.
His lifelong commitment to fellowship shines through his 50-year membership with Gothic Lodge No. 212, where he has preserved and passed down traditions of Black fraternalism. As a steward of tradition and practical wisdom, Mr. Washington embodies the resilience of Charleston’s Black elders: those who’ve shaped the city’s foundations while navigating its transformations.
CHARLES washington
Mr. Washington with his mentee, Clifford, of over 25 years (2024).
“My garage isn't just a man cave. it's a listening room. Any evening, you'll find young brothers stopping by. Some need advice, some just need to be heard. That's how we've always done it here.”
Mrs. Wilhelmina at her home in downtown Charleston (2024).
wilhelmina BOSTON
For over 30 years, Wilhelmina Boston shaped young minds as a Charleston County educator, nurturing generations of Black students and future teachers. By day, she championed literacy and pride in the classroom; by Sunday, her voice anchors the choir at Mother Emanuel AME Church, Charleston’s oldest Black congregation. Her life’s work, in school halls and sanctuary pews, has been a quiet testament to faith in community and the power of steadfast presence.
Mrs. Wilhelmina sharing family stories (2024).