Mitchellville Preservation Project Inc

PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF MITCHELVILLE AND PRESERVING A HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT SITE; TO REVEAL AN AMERICAN STORY OF FORMER SLAVES WHO CREATED A CULTURE OF SACRIFICE, RESISTENCE AND RESILIENCE IN A QUEST TO DEFINE AN INCLUSIVE FREEDOM.

JUNETEENTH IS THE OLDEST KNOWN CELEBRATION TO RECOGNIZE THE END OF SLAVERY. IT WAS ON JUNE 19, 1865 WHEN UNION OFFICER MAJOR GENERAL GORDON GRANGER ARRIVED AT GALVESTON, TEXAS WITH NEWS THAT THE WAR HAD ENDED AND ALL SLAVES WERE NOW FREE. MPP HOSTS ITS ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION IN HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE FREEDOM PARK. THIS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS THE PARK AND FEATURES STAGE PERFORMANCES AND CULTURAL PROGRAMMING THAT GIVES VISITORS A UNIQUE LOOK AT HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE. IT PROMOTES AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE, HISTORY, AND EDUCATION FEATURING TRADITIONAL MUSIC, ART, CRAFTS, FOOD AND LIVE PERFORMANCES.

ARCHEOLOGY AT MITCHELVILLE EXHIBITION. IN THE FALL OF 1862, MAJOR GENERAL ORNSBY MITCHEL, COMMANDER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND, ORDERED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FREEDMAN'S TOWN TO SERVE AS A NEW HOME FOR THOUSANDS OF FORMER SLAVES WHO FLOCKED TO THE ISLAND AFTER IT FELL TO UNION FORCES IN NOVEMBER 1861. MITCHELVILLE WAS MORE THAN A REFUGEE CAMP. THE TOWN'S NEW RESIDENTS BUILT THEIR OWN HOMES WITH MATERIALS PROVIDED BY THE UNION ARMY. THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT, ENFORCING TOWN ORDINANCES, ESTABLISHING SCHOOLS AND ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6 AND 15 ATTENDED REGULARLY. MITCHELVILLE PROVED THAT FREED MEN AND WOMEN COULD GOVERN, SUSTAIN AND EDUCATE THEMSELVES. ARCHEOLOGY AT MITCHELVILLE WILL DISPLAY EXCAVATED FINDINGS FROM THE FIRST LARGE-SCALE DIG BY BROCKINGTON AND ASSOCIATES. THE DIG UNCOVERED REMNANTS OF OLD HOMES, WELLS AND GARBAGE PITS, AND RECOVERED MORE THAN 20,000 ARTIFACTS.

HOLIDAY EVENT - COMMUNITY EVENT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY TO KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ENTERTAINMENT AND REFRESHMENTS NEAR THE BIG OAK TREE IN HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE FREEDOM PARK

MITCHELVILLE ANNIVERSARY FORUM IS A ONE-DAY SYMPOSIUM THAT EXAMINES ASPECTS OF THE MITCHELVILLE STORY AND HOW IT RESONATES IN PRESENT TIME. THE 2019 ANNIVERSARY FORUM SEEKS TO EXAMINE ACCESS AND WHO HAS IT. IT LOOKED AT THE ISSUES REVOLVING AROUND HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY ACCESS IN 21ST CENTURY AMERICA THIS SESSION EXAMINED ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION, ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH CARE AND THE GROWING POLITICAL POWER OF WOMEN, 100 YEARS AFTER GAINING THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN 1920. MODELING OUR ANCESTORS TO GROW AND INFLUENCE OUR COMMUNITY (MAGIC) LEADERSHIP PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE AREA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DISCOVERING THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP ABILITIES BY EXPLORING HISTORICAL CONCEPTS AND PARTICIPATING IN A VARIETY OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES. LIFELONG LEARNING IS A CORE VALUE THAT IS PROMOTED TO PARTICIPANTS. MAGIC YOUTH IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DISCOVERING THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP ABILITIES BY EXPLORING LESSONS OF MITCHELVILLE AND RECONSTRUCTION AND PARTICIPATING IN A VARIETY OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES. MAGIC SEEKS TO BUILD THE SELF-WORTH OF PARTICIPANTS BY INSTILLING PRIDE IN THEIR AREA, BASED ON THE EVENTS OF RECONSTRUCTION AND THE HISTORY OF MITCHELVILLE; PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERNAL GROWTH THROUGH INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING AND COLLABORATION; AND INTRODUCING THE TOOLS NECESSARY FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT. GRIOT'S CORNER IS A LITERACY PROGRAM AT HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE FREEDOM PARK DESIGNED FOR EARLY READERS FROM PRE-K THROUGH THIRD GRADE AND WELCOMES CLASSES OF UP TO THIRTY CHILDREN FOR THE PROGRAM UNDER THE BIG OAK TREE IN THE PARK. STORIES CENTER ON DIVERSITY WITH THIS YEAR'S SPECIAL FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS, STORY TELLERS, AND WILL INCLUDE GUEST READERS FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE CHILDREN WILL ALSO SHARE IN ACTIVITIES LIKE ART, GAMES, AND MUSIC RELATED TO THE THEME. HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE, THE SITE OF THE FIRST MANDATORY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1862, KEEPS THE SPIRIT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ALIVE THROUGH THE TRADITION OF STORYTELLING TO HELP ENCOURAGE THE IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF ALL PEOPLE. FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATION - MITCHELVILLE FREEDOM PARK IS A NETWORK TO FREEDOM SITE RECOGNIZING THE COMMUNITY AS THE 1ST SELF-GOVERNING TOWN OF FORMERLY ENSLAVED PEOPLE. IN 1862, SHORTLY BEFORE THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS SIGNED -- WHILE MOST OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION IN THE SOUTH WAS STILL ENSLAVED -- THE PEOPLE OF MITCHELVILLE WERE BUSY CREATING A COMPLETELY NEW, SELF-GOVERNED CULTURE THAT WOULD BE THE GUIDEPOST FOR GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW. THESE INDUSTRIOUS NEW CITIZENS BUILD HOMES ON NEATLY ARRANGED STREETS, ELECTED THEIR OWN OFFICIALS, DEVELOPED LAWS, BUILT AN ECONOMY, AND IMPLEMENTED MANDATORY EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN. IN FACT, THE REPORTS OF THE SUCCESS OF MITCHELVILLE WERE SO GLOWING, THAT THE PREVIOUS UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM FIGHTER, HARRIET TUBMAN, WAS SENT TO HILTON HEAD TO SEE THIS BUSTLING TOWN, SO SHE COULD SHARE THE STORY OF MITCHELVILLE'S SELF-GOVERNED SUCCESS WITH FUTURE FREEDOM TOWNS.