International African American Museum Hosts “IAAM History” Free Document Scanning Day at First African Baptist Church in Savannah, GA

April 23, 2025

EVENT RECAP: IAAM’s Center for Family History Out-of-State Scanning Event

Contact: Paul Holston, IAAM Marketing & Communications Manager, [email protected]; IAAM Marketing Division, [email protected]

International African American Museum Hosts “IAAM History” Free Document Scanning Day at First African Baptist Church in Savannah, GA

Charleston, S.C. – On the cusp of its 250th Anniversary, members of First African Baptist Church (FABC) in Savannah, Georgia were provided a unique opportunity to preserve their family’s history. This experience was provided by staff from the International African American Museum’s Center for Family History (CFH) on Saturday, March 22, with this being IAAM’s inaugural off-site “IAAM History” free document scanning event.

With the help of IAAM staff members Jennifer Randall, CFH’s Program Manager and Lead Archivist, and Darius Brown, CFH’s Research Assistant, community participants were able to scan and preserve various documents and images, to include church obituaries, funeral programs, birth records, pre-1970 family photographs, family bibles and slavery-related documents. This event was aligned with First African Baptist Church’s 248th anniversary theme this year: “Tracing Our Roots and Recapturing Our History.”

“Darius and I had an amazing time at the First African Baptist Church in Savannah. As our very first off-site IAAM History event for CFH, we found it to be an overwhelming success, said Randall. “The congregation was very warm and welcoming, and we loved our tour of the historic church. It was incredible, and we hope to come back for the congregation’s 250th anniversary in 2027!”

“Being that this is the 248^th anniversary year of First African Baptist Church, the International African American Museum has created a first step in the development of a digital archive of our church history,” said Leonard A. Brown, 2025 Co-Chair of FABC’s 248^th Anniversary Committee.

“Collaborating with [IAAM] was a watershed moment in our church’s history,” he said. “It has given the congregates the opportunity to preserve the memories of their friends and family members.”

FABC was organized in 1773 under the leadership of Reverend George Leile. The 1773 organization date for the church makes it clear that FABC is older than the United States (1776).  In May of 1775, Rev. Leile was ordained as the pastor and December of 1777, the church was officially constituted as a body of organized believers.

FABC is a National Historic Landmark and, as such, is registered with the National Register of Historic Places. Additional historic designations include: Buildings of religious function of the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state); 1850’s churches in Georgia (U.S. state); Built in Georgia (U.S. state) in 1859; and Churches in the United States built in 1859.

“In the year 2027, First African Baptist Church will celebrate its 250^th Anniversary,” said E. Theresa Franklin, 2025 Co-Chair of First African Baptist Church’s 248^th Anniversary Committee. “We hope that Jennifer Randall, Darius Brown, and IAAM will return to assist us in the preservation of this moment in the history of the church and Savannah.”

For anyone who desires to preserve the African American history of their community and live within a 90-minute radius of Charleston, please contact [email protected] to arrange an IAAM History scanning day in 2025.
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About the International African American Museum

The International African American Museum (IAAM) explores the history, culture, and impact of the African American journey on Charleston, South Carolina, the nation, and the world, shining light and sharing stories of the diverse journeys, origin, and achievements of descendants of the African Diaspora. Located at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf, IAAM honors the untold stories of the African American journey. Learn more about IAAM at www.iaamuseum.org and follow IAAM on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, and LinkedIn.