by Cheryl Smithem
After talking with Patricia Williams Lessane, Executive Director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston, it’s easy to understand why she was named one of the 50 Most Progressive People in the city. The honor bestowed by CHARLIE Magazine recognizes the forward-thinking people and things that are shaping the future of Charleston.
Now in her third year as Executive Director of the Avery Research Center, Williams Lessane has charted a very progressive path for the center. She said, “I see us as a destination not only for scholars and students, but for the general population who want to learn from the incredible variety of material we have within our collection.”
In the article published in CHARLIE, Williams Lessane remarks, “I try to approach life and my work with very little fear. And so even though I work at Avery and our focus is African American, I’m an American and our history is American history. To me being progressive means you’re fluid and open and ideas come from many kinds of people and opportunities. I ask tough questions of others and of myself. And I’m really optimistic. Whatever the issue is, we can figure it out.”
The Avery Research Center holds collections that cover many topics. According to Williams Lessane, “We’re well known for our materials on the rice culture of the Lowcountry and on the lives of Civil Rights giants such as Septima P. Clark. I want us to be more widely known for the broad wealth of information available in the collection—on topics such as black social organizations, and black business men and women in Charleston. I want us to be provocateurs of discussion and study.”
Williams Lessane categorizes recent annual conferences hosted by the Avery Research Center as examples of what she means. “Our 2012 ‘The Fire Every Time: Reframing Black Power Across the Twentieth Century and Beyond’ is credited with elevating the discussion of the ‘Black Power’ movement in academic circles. Our conference attendees originated from all over the country and were very impressed by what we did.” Watch a video.
“Our 2013 conference ‘Unleashing the Black Erotic: Gender and Sexuality—Passion, Power, and Praxis’ is focused on a topic which some black scholars have, until now, been discouraged from writing about or discussing. It’s time we as scholars elucidate seminal ideas on the topic, especially given that we have a black family in the White House.”
Williams Lessane will not stop here. In conjunction with The Coastal Conservation League, the Avery Research Center has proposed to the National Endowment of the Humanities that the two entities be funded to gather stories from people living on Charleston area barrier islands.
Under her leadership and with the team of scholars at the Avery Research Center, it’s clear that Williams Lessane is not about to stop looking to the future and setting goals for herself and for the organization.
For more information on the Avery Research center, visit them on the web.
