Feasting on Books | Imagination: A Manifesto 

The International African American Museum (IAAM), in partnership with the Charleston Literary Festival, invites you to a private, specially curated evening honoring Dr. Ruha Benjamin and her groundbreaking book, Imagination: A Manifesto. Inspired by Dr. Benjamin’s call to reclaim imagination as a tool for collective liberation, this program will take the form of a Feasting on Books gathering, pairing light refreshments with meaningful conversation.

Guests will be seated at separate tables for small-group dialogue, using curated prompts to reflect on the theme “Imagination as Liberation” and how bold dreaming can shape a more just and interconnected future.

Imagination: A Manifesto is a proclamation of the power of the imagination. It is an invitation to rid our mental and social structures from the tyranny of dominant imaginaries, and a field guide for seeding an imagination grounded in solidarity, in which our underlying interdependence as a species and planet is reflected back at us in our institutions and social relationships.

Guests are encouraged to arrive by 7:00 PM to experience the full arc of this  evening.

Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Time: 7:00PM – 9:00PM
Location: 14 Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC, 29401 
Parking Instructions: Metered parking is available on Concord Street. Paid parking is available at the SC Aquarium Parking Garage (24 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC 29401)