Lowcountry Gullah

For generations, depending on where you came from, the thoughts of enslaved people and / or Black Americans tended to be lumped into "traditionally, it's all the same." But, is it? The question should be, why are the Gullah Geechee so different?

Like a lot of people, Glander Pressly grew up in the culture, but through her work she shares its richness all the time. For her, spreading Gullah is a deeply personal experience that she appreciates every day. It's easy to say that you appreciate something, but the mental impact and muscule memmory that kicks in, especially when she looks at slave cabins or handles shackles or any other remnants...

For years and years, people have been asking about what's the best way to experience the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor. And sure, making random stops from North Carolina to Florida can be done, but now there's a Cultural Heritage Tour that's not only an immersive experience, but a pilgrimage that is a journey of memory, land and liberation that follows the path of how our ancestors were able to...

The Heirs Property issue is at a critical point in the Gullah Geechee community. The question is often asked how land can be sold from under someone even if they're living on the property. Join me in a fascinating conversation with Pastor Robin Dease who not only has heirs' property, but has also studied it, as well as worked to resolve it with members of her former congegation on John's Island, S...

Land is land. Either you own it, or you don’t. Like any other asset, it has a value that can be calculated into a cost, right? Well, interestingly enough, the answer to that question varies, depending on who you’re asking. To most people, the answer is a clear and definitive yes. However, to a Gullah / Geechee, or native islander, the answer might be a resounding no. Confused? Let me explain.

Most of the descendents of the diaspora are really orphans. We might know our direct parents, but time and generations erase our connections to who we really are, as the cultural void is so great. With today's tools, documents and some research, the distance between the known and unknown can become smaller. Author of Descended: Searching for my Gullah Geechee Roots, Keith Rushing not only did the...

America was a slave society and its involvement from the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade to the Domestic Slave Trade might be known, but the details are often overlooked. The Slave Traders or Brokers were the core and very foundation of the economic engine that kept slavery going. But, how was it done? Who were the Brokers? What type of people were they?

Musical influences can come from anywhere, but never before have we been able to understand the cultural and regional impacts that the very sounds that we hear in various parts of the US and around the world come from all around the diaspora. So from African beats to the blended sounds from the Gullah community to Cajun and Northern states, wherever you're hearing music, it can be and has been tra...

When it comes to the Gullah Islands, Hilton Head and St. Helena, South Carolina and Sapelo and Jekyll Islands in Georgia, are usually the ones that are the first to come to mind. But sandwiched between Hilton Head and Charleston is Edisto Island, which just like the rest of the Gullah islands, has a rich and storied history of its own.

Everyone has a story. We often think about all of the negatives that came out of slavery, but it's nice to come across the tales of the good that people did in their community. Many white families risked their lives to rescue and help free enslaved people. Here's one of those underground railroad stories of heroism and the steadfast desire to do the right thing.

Most people don't know that Harriet Tubman was nicknamed the Black Moses and spent several years in South Carolina or that she was a nurse, spy and scout for the Union Army. Her invaluable work in Beaufort County, South Carolina led to the largest emancipation event of the Civil War, the Combahee River Raid, where around 750 enslaved people were rescued. That's just one more of Tubman's amazing ac...

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...

Passing down elements of our culture is what we have come to expect from our elders. But, when the youth around us not only get it, but are spreading culture on their own, well, that's definitely something to talk about and support! Meet the West Sisters, who are extremely talented and promising young filmmakers who are sharing the importance of culture and traditions with the next generation.

High rates of Black land loss and heirs' property issues have been around since the end of the civil war and unfortunately, acres are disappearing at an alarming speed. The critical state that we're in usually is a nameless, faceless process that is often remains unspoken....until 96 year old Josephine Wright made her valiant fight to keep her land from the hands of a developer into a national sto...

Everyone needs a vacation, but you never know when a trip or experience will impact your life. Going to Africa is one of those life-changing experiences that everyone of the diaspora should take. It might start out as being just another place in the world, but it could end up as an introduction to a new world of cultural connections that one could never prepare for.

We often talk about or recognize that we're descendants of enslaved people, but what does that really mean? Acknowledging it is just one part of accepting who we are and where we came from. But what's most important, is not only appreciating the richness of our our culture, but also capturing and passing down our traditional practices, so that future generations can continue on ancestral paths tha...

Enslavers are often thought about as simple farmers or wealthy ones. What is not widely known is that the southern planter class of enslavers were mostly the creme de la creme of society. They were part of an organized and calculated club of people who were founding fathers, signers of the Declaration of Independence, Governors and other influential national leaders who made their money from slave...

The children's TV show, Gullah Gullah Island had the first beloved mainstream Gullah characters. Look out world, here comes the first Gullah anime characters! From Akan and Adrinka symbols to incorporating traditional and cultural elements of the Gullah Geechee, the stories of our ancestors come to life in Camp Geechee. Created by Joshua Mishoe, this young brother is spreading Gullah in a new and...

The Gullah Geechee culture is everywhere. Elements of the culture can be found in all that we do on a daily basis and it's all around the world. Music is one of the key facets of the culture that not only connects us, but genre after genre, you can find the Gullah sound. Enjoy a fascinating conversation with dual Grammy award winning artist. Charlton Singleton from the internationally known group...

Gullah Geechee culture, which is rooted in West African culture is strongly aligned with the past and teachings as well as guidance from the ancestors. The ancestors are all around us in alot of ways. Their knowledge and directions come in a lot of differnt forms, from African Proverbs to the life skills that have been passed down through our families. Every aspect of their wisdom continues to be...

Slavery is America's dirty little secret, which is why there's so many misconceptions and misinformation that's in history books and circling around society today. The hierarchy of slavery, the business that it took to make it work and become successful, and the slave societies that thrived as a result of it are all not often talked about. Listen in to a fascinating converstaion that starts with t...

So what's in a name? Well, in African tradition, alot! Naming someone is more than just an identifying label, African names mean something. Whether it represents an event that happened that day like a storm, or because you were born on a certain day of the week, or even in honor of something or someone, African names have a purpose. They also are granted through a special ceremony, regardless of h...

Years ago, there was this big craze or "discovery" of what was called Ebonics or Black Slang. Well, first of all, its not new. For many reasons, enslaved people chose, out of resistance and as a way of holding on to their cultural identity, to create and speak an indigenous English based Creole language.

The art of sewing sweetgrass baskets is a time honored West African skill that's been passed down for generations. Today, those beautiful pieces of art are valued and often on display, but hundreds of years ago, the baskets had functional and practical use around the house. Basket sewers today are following in the footsteps of our ancestors by keeping the skill alive and broadening its appeal. Of...

It's not often thought of our Gullah Geechee ancestors as conservatives, but when you think about it, that's how they lived. With traditional skills and practices from West Africa, they used their community and daily way of living to be self-sustaining and self-sufficient. Those time honored skills of independence and strength also were rooted in the characteristics of fierce loyalty and patriotis...