Lowcountry Gullah

Identity is so important. So is knowing and understanding oneself. But, when some of the pieces of your life are missing, like where you land in your family tree or who you decended from, that lack of information can be devastating.....or it can be empowering and uplifting.

Sometimes, finding ways of connecting to our culture is hard. Of course research and traditions are the easy options that we have, but developing new and varied ways of not only experiencing and even tasting it, but also sharing our culture. Take Carolina Gold Rice for example. It is yet another deeply rooted and significant part of our culture that has taken on more than just space on the plate.

Yep, that's who I am! And PROUD of it! Funny, I get asked alot if I am Gullah and who's behind Lowcountry Gullah. So, here's the story behind the work and why it's become my life's mission and purpose.

The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, commemorates the end of slavery. It may be the most recent addition to the federal calendar, but it's the oldest and longest nationally celebrated holiday in the US. June 19th, otherwise known as Juneteenth or Black independence day. Sadly, the majority of Americans don't know or even recognize the importance of this date to our history. Juneteenth is not ju...

The Lowcountry Gullah Podcast has been airing for three years and has more than 100 interviews available, all hosted by Luana Graves Sellars. In this episode, we flipped the script! The interviewer has become the interviewee! Here's the backstory on the creation of Lowcountry Gullah, the motivation behind it and just a little taste of my trip to Africa.

Did you know that one of the first Memorial Day Celebrations began as a Gullah holiday?

We don't usually think about the origins of a lot of the things that we say or do, but for every action, or how we do what we do, there's a time proven reason. Even the sayings that we share on a daily basis, like "it takes a village to raise a child" had to come from somewhere. The use of African Proverbs has become almost second nature to us, even though we don't know of why or where it came fro...

Plantations aren't something that we often talk about, especially how their stories are told. So, this isn’t just another plantation story; it’s a vital recounting of truth in a time when misinformation runs rampant. It's important that we continue to highlight the importance of recognizing and preserving the narratives of enslaved people. It's also an important topic and conversation that we need...

Listen in on a compelling conversation with Dr. Ian Smith as we explore the critical health issues generationally affecting the Black community, the importance of culturally competent medical care, and strategies for empowerment and health advocacy.

When we talk about Gullah culture, it's often about food, religion, sweetgrass baskets and language. The Gullah lived off of the land and sea, which made the being in proximity to the water and utilizing it an incredibly important cultural pillar that supported their daily living, was a source of giving joy and enabled them to survive.

The Gullah Geechee culture is alive and well and full of rich culture, history, and generations of resistance within the Gullah community. Things like storytelling, language, food, and traditions have served as powerful forms of cultural preservation which has prevented erasure. But, what does that even mean? Why are we keeping the culture? How are we sustaining the culture? Not sure? Tap in and f...

How the Gullah Geechee connect to nature and respect our environment is often overlooked. The fact is that our West African roots and the skills that our ancestors used to live off of the land and sea were not only time proven, but they were passed down through the generations as a matter of survival. Returning to natural remedies and living off the land was always how it was done and it's exactly...

The question of where Gullah islands are is a common one. The quick answer is that there are several. The issue is, how long will they be around? There's nothing more valuable than land, especially land that is the only legacy that you have. Gullah land is priceless and as such, what are we going to do to protect it?

When your family is facing a crisis, sometimes it's hard to think past your own situation. Heirs' property issues and the potential loss of family land is like that. I feels like "just a me problem". Land loss is very personal; especially when it's your family's heritage. Unfortunately, heirs' property is far too common and the toll that it is taking on Black family structures is in a word, devast...

In the DNA and ancestry.com world, just the thought of searching for your ancestors can be an exciting journey of discovery, as well as daunting, especially if your a Black American. Frustration and hitting the 1870s Slave Wall might be what happens, but it is very possible that you can build a tree well into the early 1800s. Finding documents are fabulous, but the importance of discovering the st...

The religious practices that our ancestors were able to keep is something that we often talk about. But, the use of praise houses, their meaning, their structure, the music that came out of them and their very existence was not only a source of resistence, but also where they found joy.

The word culture is something that covers a lot of things, but when you really get down into it, it is the core of who and what we're made of. The Gullah are descended from West Africans who were deeply connected to the soil and to the land that they lived on. Listen in on an in-depth and powerful two part conversation on who we are and why the soil is such a significant part of our DNA.

The ancestors held on to their memories of Africa because they wanted to make sure that our homeland wasn't forgotten. Now, it's time for us to make sure that the next generations not only know, but they are able to experience the culture in the traditional and emotional ways that the ancestors intended.

The ancestors knew exactly what they were doing. They saw the wealth that came out of the soil that they toiled and the sense of place that came from the land. Purchasing property provided than with independence, a place to live and grow their food, but more importantly, it established generational wealth.

If you've every thought about going back home to Africa or have been inspired by the countless celebrity pilgrimages that the 2019 Year of Return to Ghana spawned, well, then you have been moved by the work and influences of Professor James Smalls. For over 40 years, he's been the principle bridge between the Diaspora and returning home for countless Black / African Americans. His efforts, in conc...

So, what is the diaspora and where did it start? It's often talked about, but do you really know? And what about all of the affects that its had and the lasting traumas that we're still experiencing today?

Owning land is a big part of the American Dream, right? Well, when land has been purchased by an ancestor who through their blood, sweat and tears left it for you to have a better life, then its more than a plot of dirt, it's their legacy. And that's worth doing everything that you can to hold on to it.

The Gullah people have a rich history and culture that's connected to West African roots. Through the significance of storytelling, cultural heritage, and the ongoing movement to reconnect with ancestral roots, Author Amadu Massally shares a fresh exploration of new perspectives on the Gullah's connection to the Rice Coast and the importance of preserving the our language.

We know all about the distorted history that has been taught us in the past. And fortunately, "when we know better, we do better". The MLK assassination is a story most of us are very familiar with and the famous picture on the balcony. What we haven't heard is the story from the Kneeling Man, who was there when it happened.

We often talk about our ancestors, but being able to find and speak their names is a powerful gift to have. Taking the time to do the research on our family tree is often hard to do, but details about their lives paints an incredible image of what they experienced and sometimes, who they were and what they did. Saying their name no only honors them, but enables us to remember their sacrifices.