OCT. 17, 2018 | The lush gardens of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens outside Charleston, S.C., provided a backdrop for discussions on slavery, history, gun violence and forgiveness. Later, the crew traveled to Florence, S.C., to talk with Republicans and Democrats as they entered an auditorium to watch a televised debate between South Carolina’s GOP and Democratic candidates for governor.
At the plantation, historian and author Herb Frazier showed Bruce Hawker an alley of old slave cabins (above) and described how inhabitants lived before the Civil War and later as tenants. Magnolia Plantation, the oldest gardens in America, has been a tourist attraction since the 1870s, Frazier explained. Later, he described the impact of the shooting murders of nine people at Emanuel AME Church in 2015 on the Charleston community and world. Here’s a link to the book he co-authored on the tragedy.
In Florence, several people gave their opinions on the direction that the country is moving and their views of President Trump’s performance — and his potential impact on the midterm elections. Read a story about the debate here.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, outside Charleston, S.C.
Florence, S.C.
