Darius Brown
A native of Grays Hill, South Carolina, Darius has been researching his family history for more than five years and is the IAAM’s first Research Assistant for the Center for Family History. His Gullah roots are deep in Beaufort County, South Carolina, where his family still owns land in the community where they were formerly enslaved.
Darius holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Administration from the Technical College of the Lowcountry, with certificates in Accounting and Entrepreneurship/Small Business.
Through his quest to learn his family history, Darius has developed advanced skills in genealogy research in the Lowcountry. His research has revealed that seventeen of his ancestors served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War.
His ancestors who were enslaved at Otaheiti and Old Fort plantations in Beaufort County were among the thousands freed by the capture of Port Royal in November of 1861. His ancestors witnessed the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in January of 1863 and were among the founders of the Grays Hill community in Beaufort County.
The story of Darius Brown’s ancestors is told in his own words in the Walking Cinema virtual tour Free and Equal, available as an app for iPhone and Android.
Darius has conducted genealogy research for Dr. Edda Fields-Black’s forthcoming book Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and the Construction of Gullah Geechee Identity.
