Community invited to celebrate Robert Smalls’ 185th birthday in Beaufort
From staff reports
Black or white, young or old, Republican or Democrat – it’s a day so big in Beaufort, just about everyone should be celebrating.
Friday, April 5 marks the 185th birthday of Beaufort’s Civil War hero Robert Smalls, and the community is honoring the legacy of the man whose name has become part of everyday life in the Lowcountry.
First, there is a birthday celebration scheduled for 11 a.m., at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street. The public is cordially invited to the event sponsored by Rev. Kenneth Hodges and the Beaufort Republican Women’s Club. Smalls founded the Republican Party in South Carolina.
S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson will be the Keynote speaker, and Riverview Charter School will make a video presentation. There is no charge for the event, but donations to the Harriet Tubman Memorial Fund are accepted. Cake and punch will be served.
Then, later that evening, the community is invited to a special “Robert Smalls 185th Birthday Celebration” from 5 to 8 p.m. – the same time as First Friday – at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce at 711 Bladen Street.
“Robert Smalls, an enslaved African, was a dreamer who had the audacity to dream of freedom and then made that dream a reality for himself and others,” said Anita Singleton-Prather, aka Aunt Pearlie Sue, who is hosting the birthday celebration. “A true homegrown hero who deserves to be celebrated, he was not just concerned about ‘me and my four and no more.’”
Smalls’ incredible journey – from slavery to the U.S. Congress – began on April 5, 1839, when he was born in a cabin behind his owner’s house at 511 Prince Street in Beaufort. He became a Civil War hero when he and a crew of fellow slaves commandeered a Confederate supply vessel and sailed it to freedom in 1862.
After serving as a Navy Captain in the Union Armed Forces for the rest of the war, Smalls returned home to Beaufort and helped create a free and compulsory education system that would be available to all children in South Carolina. He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, the State Senate, and eventually the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the district that includes Beaufort County for five terms. Smalls died in 1915 and is buried outside the Tabernacle Baptist Church on Craven Street.
The birthday celebration, which is free and open to the public, will feature local musical entertainment, including a performance by the Robert Smalls Leadership Academy Chorus, as well as complimentary birthday cake and games for the family.
“We’re going to be doing Robert Smalls trivia, too,” said Singleton-Prather. “So study up on your history before you come.”
In addition, several Gullah food trucks will be on-site, offering food for purchase. The evening’s special guests include Michael B. Moore, Smalls’ great-great-grandson, and a current candidate for the same seat his ancestor held in the U.S. Congress. Moore, who as a 13-year-old, unveiled the bust of Smalls that is prominently displayed adjacent to his burial site on Craven Street, has studied and lectured about his great-great-grandfather’s place in history.
“Robert Smalls could have rested on his notoriety and lived comfortably in freedom up North, but he returned to fight for freedom for all who were still enslaved in the South, then went on to serve this country for the rest of his life,” said Singleton-Prather. “We’re inviting the entire community to join us for fun, food, and festivities as we honor the legacy of our ‘Gullah Statesman’ and the deep impact he had on our community, our state, and our country.”
For more information, or to RSVP, visit the Beaufort County Black Chamber’s website at BCBCC.org/events.
WANT TO GO?
What: Robert Smalls 185th birthday celebrations
– Event 1
Who: Hosted by Rev. Kenneth Hodges and the Beaufort Republican Women’s Club
When: 11 a.m.
Where: Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street
Cost: There is no charge for the event, but donations to the Harriet Tubman Memorial Fund are accepted.
– Event 2
Who: Anita Singleton-Prather, aka Aunt Pearlie Sue, and the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce
When: 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, 711 Bladen Street
Cost: Free and open to the public
