A blog post by Ayanna Goines, African American History Consultant

Ayanna Goines, African American History Consultant

I was born and raised in South Carolina, in a small town called Blythewood. I attended the University of South Carolina, entering as an Experimental Psychology major, but changed to Criminal Justice and Criminology, focusing on the Criminology aspect. About half way through first semester freshman year, I made the decision to add History as a second major with no actual future career goals in mind. After graduating, and being a loyal Gamecock, I attended USC again for graduate school and graduated in May of 2020 with my Master’s in Public History with a concentration in Historic Preservation. I have worked at Historic Columbia as a weekend tour guide and before coming to SCDAH, I worked at the South Carolina State Museum in an array of jobs, including a planetarium educator and STEM program educator, where I gave interactive programs on various science topics. While I enjoyed that form of informal education, it focused on science and I missed doing historical research and telling stories. That led me here to SHPO where I am reminded everyday of the excitement that comes with history.

What do you do as the SC SHPO African American History Consultant?

In this role, I am given the opportunity to assist in the identification, documentation, and preservation of African American historic sites and places. When people have questions about genealogical or historical resources, I help them determine what collections to refer to, where to look if the Archives does not have information, and sometimes conduct preliminary research for them. I also serve as the liaison to the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of African American historic sites, buildings, and culture. I have assisted with their Annual Conference which just completed its second successful year and promote their activities and projects, like the Green Book publication, creation of curriculum on Black involvement in the American Revolution, and the completion of National Register nominations, through their online monthly newsletter. 

What is your favorite part of the job?

With this job I am able to give people the resources and information they need to tell a story, an important story, and spread it to others. To have the ability to explain the importance of a building, the surrounding area, and the people who interacted with the space gives me hope that history does not have to be boring; it is everywhere and whether you realize it or not, has an impact on you.

What is your favorite historical time period?

I know many people say they don’t have a favorite time period, but I genuinely do not. My favorite type of history centers on the stories that are not told; the “useless” history or the fun fact history. Essentially, the history you don’t know is there unless you look for it, because that is when you get a fuller, richer picture of history.