By telling the story of the journey of hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans who were taken from West Africa, entered our young nation in Charleston SC, endured hardship and cruelty, and then contributed so significantly to the greatness of America, we seek to honor the site where so many enslaved Africans arrived and thousands died, tell of important lives that have been overlooked in most history books, and promote compassion and empathy across all races and ethnicities.