Faculty Spotlight | Oct. 9, 2023
In the early hours of May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls and a crew composed of fellow slaves, stole a cotton steamer in Charleston, SC, picked up family members at a rendezvous point, then navigated their way through the harbor. Once clear of the harbor and outside of Confederate waters, he had his crew surrendered his ship to the blockading Union fleet. Smalls would later go on to serve five terms in the US House of Representatives. His amazing life was depicted in an October world premiere production of Finding Freedom, The Journey of Robert Smalls, at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, with media design by Joseph Amodei.