"Faith in Education: 19th-Century African American Education in Savannah"

Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), which is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, will feature Savannah Archaeological Alliance founder Laura Seifert as a guest speaker on Thurs., Sept. 18 at the Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center, located in the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy at 323 E. Broughton St. in Savannah, Ga. Seifert will discuss “Faith in Education: 19th-Century African American Education in Savannah” as part of the 2025 Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “The People, Places and Stories That Define Savannah.” Attendees are invited to attend a wine reception at 5:30 p.m. The lecture will start at 6 p.m.

Following emancipation, education was considered an urgent priority in the African American community. Demand was high, but resources were scarce. Underfunding, lack of infrastructure, insufficient staffing, racism and segregation shaped Savannah’s earliest public and private schools. With few exceptions, such as the Beach Institute and Haven Home Industrial School in Savannah, most schools popped up and disappeared quickly.

In her lecture, Seifert will use the unique lens of archaeological and historical data to balance the story of the Skidaway Island Benedictine Mission, a Catholic mission and boys boarding school from 1877 to 1900, with the larger history of African American education in Savannah. She will connect the past to the present, sharing how the cultural and logistical challenges school organizers faced in the 1800s continue to impact today’s students.

Seifert’s book “Faith in Education at the Skidaway Island Benedictine Mission” details her archaeological and historical findings on this important topic. For her innovative research and steadfast dedication to sharing the educational stories and political forces that shaped Savannah’s early public, private, religious and secular education systems, Seifert was awarded the only archaeology-based Historic Savannah Foundation Preservation Award.

With nearly 25 years of experience in archaeology, museums and higher education, Seifert has dedicated her career to research and preservation. To date, she has traced local history from Revolutionary War battle sites in Savannah to the Industrial Revolution at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum and personal, domestic histories at the Sorrel Weed House and the Kiah House. Prior to founding the Savannah Archaeological Alliance in 2018, she was an instructor at Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern University) who co-founded and directed Armstrong State University’s public archaeology program, Digging Savannah.

Seifert earned a master’s degree in Anthropology from East Carolina University and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Syracuse University. She is the author of “Old Fort Jackson,” “Faith in Education at the Skidaway Island Benedictine Mission” and her most recent book, “Mothering and Archaeology: Past and Present Perspectives.”

Historic Savannah Foundation’s Lecture Series is open to the public. Reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Attendance is free for Historic Savannah Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Members may RSVP by emailing Kendall Graham at kgraham@myhsf.org or calling 912-233-7787, ext. 109. Non-members can purchase tickets by visiting myhsf.org/events/lecture-series