Name: HSF Lecture Series, "Faith in Education: 19th-century African American Education in Savannah"
Start: 2025-09-18T17:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-09-18T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Historic Kennedy Pharmacy

HSF Lecture Series, "Faith in Education: 19th-century African American Education in Savannah"

HSF is excited to welcome Laura Seifert, founder of the Savannah Archaeological Alliance, as the September speaker for our lecture series. Join us on Thursday, September 18 to hear Ms. Seifert discuss "Faith in Education: 19th Century African American Education in Savannah." This presentation will use the unique lens of archaeological and historical data to balance the story of the Skidaway Island Benedictine mission with the larger history of African American education in Savannah and Chatham County.
Following emancipation, education was considered an urgent priority in the African American community. Schools popped up and disappeared quickly as demand was high, but resources were scarce and diminishing. Other schools, such as the Beach Institute and Haven Home Industrial School, became long-term institutions that served Savannah’s African American communities for decades. Early school organizers faced cultural and logistical challenges that our society still struggles with today. Underfunding, lack of infrastructure, understaffing, racism, white privilege, and segregation all shaped our earliest public and private schools, and, despite progress, those scars have not been erased. Archaeological and historical evidence show the rich educational stories and political maneuverings in the braided stream of public and private, religious and secular education systems. Discover the nerdy history of Savannah’s schools and what that still means for our students today.
The lecture will take place in the Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center located within the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy at 323 E. Broughton Street. Attendees are invited to a wine reception at 5:30 pm and the discussion will start at 6:00 pm. Reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Attendance is free for HSF members and $15 for non-members. Members may RSVP by emailing [email protected] and non-members may purchase tickets at https://www.myhsf.org/events/lecture-series/.