The Centenarian Stories is a program by the Center for Family History and Faith-Based Education and Engagement are interviewing African Americans who are 90+. We are trying to record the untold and documented stories before they are lost. The interviews can be in person or virtually. If you know someone email cfh@iaamuseum.org for more information.
In this interview, the 109-year-old Mrs. Ercelle Chillis of James Island, Charleston County, South Carolina shared stories about her family's history and her life. Her interview opens with the story of her birth during a horrific South Carolina hurricane. She also shared the story of how her paternal grandfather walked with his family from Alabama to Charleston in the 1870s in a bid to hire a boat that would take him and his family to Africa!
96-year-old educator and Civil Rights worker Mrs. Jennie Mae Jefferson was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised in Berkeley County, South Carolina.
