International African American Museum opens in Charleston

By Mike Switzer

Published August 16, 2023 at 5:08 AM EDT

A tide tribute pool outside the International African American Museum in Charleston depicts how men, women and children were stacked in the hulls of slave ships as they arrived at Gadsden's Wharf during the transatlantic slave trade. June 24, 2023

After over 20 years of planning, our next guest’s museum officially opened to the public this June, with a mission of helping visitors learn the full story of the African American journey. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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