Lowcountry Gullah

When most people think about slavery, they instantly think that tobacco and cotton were the main crops. And yes, they were, BUT along the sea island's the major cash crops were rice, indigo and sea island cotton. The type of cotton that was grown here was not only difficult to grow, but it was a better more luxurious fiber that Gullah Geechee ingenuity and skills made it sought after worldwide.

Today, taking time to celebrate the holidays has become tradition. For enslaved people, the coming new year might have been a time of fear, dread or the anxious time that they've been waiting for to escape.

The Watch Night Service is a tradition the grew out of slavery, yet still is an important part of how, for many African Americans, is the only way that a new year should be brought in. The practice, called “Freedom Night” or named the Watch Night Service, began in 1862, when anxious slaves were waiting on confirmation of their freedom based on the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, the service cont...

For generations, celebrating Kwanzaa from December 26th to January 1st has been a end of the year holiday tradition that's becoming more widely known and practiced. So what is Kwanzaa and why are the seven prinicples so important to our daily living? Intrigued? Here's a deep dive into this valued African American holiday that's based on family, empowerment and economic development.

Living on an island and the isolation that comes with it, made Gullah holidays a little different, but special none the less. Getting ready for the sea island holidays was a year long process which made the seasonal harvests an an important part in the preparation that involved the entire family, from children to the elders.

Sometimes, we forget that the ancestors left behind all of the tools that we need for success. Through creative storytelling, proverbs, and skills, they passed us all a toolbox full of ways that they, even though they were beaten, found ways not to be broken.

West African tradition says that one should speak for themselves and for the ancestors who came before you. Gullah Chef, author and 6th generation farmer, Matthew Raiford is doing exactly that! He has taken his love for the culture, his roots and food and incorporated all of it into a lifestyle and business that is surly making the ancestors proud!

In Gullah culture, the food is deeply rooted in rice and seafood dishes that grew out of the diaspora and its West African influences. Gullah Chef BJ Dennis has built a reputation for not just amazing flavors, but for spreading knowledge about the ingredient's origins. His Gullah cooking may be what he's known for on a national stage but to him, its important to continue to use the techniques of t...

There aren't a lot of Culinary Preservationists out there who have a depth of knowledge on West African food, culinary practices and flavors, especially one who can't break it down like Michael Twitty can. The author of a few incredible culinary based history books, including the Cooking Gene, Michael Twitty captivates as he educates you when he takes you on a culinary tour and shares some fascina...

Every day Americans are using Gullah traditions in what we say and eat. The culture and its foodways can be traced directly back to West Africa for several centuries. Things like one pot meals is just the beginning of some of the cultural flavors, ingredients and Gullah impacts that we enjoy today.

Where did the meals that are connected to Black people and culture that we call soul food or southern cooking come from? Yes, some of the dishes came straight out of the Diaspora, but what are the true origins of all of the rich variety of foods and flavors? And how did they become what has influenced the popular foodways of the South that we enjoy today?

When we don't know a word or what something is, it's easy to let assumptions, misunderstandings or even misinformation lead us to label it as bad and not to be liked. Well, Hoodoo and Conjure have had a bad rap for exactly those reasons. So, here's a crash course on what this ancient ancestral traditions are from a Priestess who not only practices the religion, but sheds a light on why culturally...

Everyday, as we move through life, we come across markings that our ancestors left behind for us. From the beautiful kente cloth designs, to the mud cloths to the Adrinka symbols that can be found everywhere; sharing wisdom with us; reassuring us that we're not alone; communicating tribal messages and so much more. The symbols are not just random pictures, they're our history, our identity, our ge...

Some people say that the Gullah Geechee language is dying. Well, it's not! Finding out how many people are speaking Gullah or Geechee might be difficult because speakers are code switching. So, what is code switching? And why are bi-lingual Gullah's changing how they speak in public if their first language is Gullah? Join me for an energized and educational conversation on language, culture and ho...

Let's face it. Slavery was all about "the dollar dollar bill ya'll". It offered free labor and an incredible economic growth that we are still seeing today,,,,,,,hundreds of years later. The impact that we don't talk about is the human cargo that was the largest "crop" that was grown out of slavery and the humanity that was affected in order to enable it to thrive.

Years ago, I would have never even thought to define or try to distinguish between what is a birthplace and where is your homeland; that is until I traveled to Africa. There are distinct differences between the two and regardless of how much you love the country of your birth and are accustomed to life there, your homeland has special connections and strong ties that are, well, unbreakable.

Black land loss is at a critical point in America, but especially in the South. Since emanipation, the deck has been stacked against Black land owners, who by 1910 had 16 million acres. At last count, the number was around 6 million and dropping fast. Author Andrew Kahrl of the book, The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Disposition in America sheds a bright light not only on the pr...

Ancestrial roots can be a funny thing. They show up in a variety of ways. That comfy feels like home feeling when visiting a place or the memory of the familiar, when everything around you, you thought was new to you. It's a soft and consistent prodding thought. A desire to go somewhere and the need to stay - just a little longer. And regardless of what we try to do, or how we try to resist, those...

Most of the time, when we think about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, thoughts of stolen ancestors and the exchange of goods comes to mind. And of course, the primary basis of the Slave Trade was for the trafficking of human beings from Africa, which was the major economic driver for slavery and the free labor that came from it. Of course, the commerce connection is the strongest element, but the...

For the most part, Black/African Americans who don't know who their people descend from are like orphans. The beautiful thing is, that once people connect to their ancestral roots, not only do they find more about who they really are, they've also stepped into the warm embrace of our ancestors, who've been waiting for the acceptance and recognition.

You may have had fish & grits or a lowcountry boil or even have shucked some oysters at a fancy resturant, but for the Gullah, those are just an average meal. Experiencing Gullah Geechee culture is what a lot of us do every single day - we just don't know it as such. That's why learning about the origins of a culture's foodways, music and traditions are so important. So, how about some red rice, o...

For some reason, Gullah culture and history has been thought of different or something else. It's not considered a part of Black /African American history or the greater narrative that should be part of our American story. But, the Gullah Geechee origins and history is as American as anything else. You'll be surprised to know that a lot of the very things that we call American are as Gullah as you...

From walking in the footsteps of our ancestors to telling their untold stories, connecting with our past is so important; especially when it includes their truth and a clarity of understanding all of pain and suffering that they experienced. When it's done right, it's grounding and oh so powerful. Poet and author, Stephen Q. Gray shares his emotional journey back to Africa and his motivation behin...

From DNA to cardinal sightings to passed down generational skills to muscle memory of things that we do everyday, can all be traced back to from "whence we come." Connecting to our ancestors is an incredible gift that is empowering and grounding. It also is at the very core of who we really are. And once you know that, well, the rest is just powerful.

West African tradition says that one should speak for themselves and for the ancestors who came before you. Gullah Chef, author and 6th generation farmer, Matthew Raiford is doing exactly that! He has taken his love for the culture, his roots and food and incorporated all of it into a lifestyle and business that is surly making the ancestors proud!