Click here to see the documentary trailer.

The documentary, Colored Troops of the Civil War | Courage. Determination. Survival. highlights the extraordinary contributions of the formerly enslaved Black soldiers who risked their lives to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. They demonstrated incredible dedication and loyalty to fight for and to become part of a nation that they could call their own. Individual stories of courage, their impact, and of the origin of the US Colored Troops (USCT) and their impressive wartime contributions, have not been told from a perspective that valued their valor, in addition to the success that their participation provided in changing the course of the Civil War, which divided the nation over slavery. The USCT story is very complex. Initially the rationale behind folding the formerly enslaved into the ranks as soldiers was multifaceted. In an effort to obtain victory, the Union Army needed to increase troop numbers and the enslaved could offer an enormous boost to their numbers. Both free and formerly enslaved Blacks stepped up to the challenge and risked their lives for the opportunity to be emancipated. Untold stories of heroics and determination, courage, loyalty and a fierce desire to survive, despite the incredible odds and adversity that was thrust against the USCTs only reinforces the need for the legacy that they left behind to be shared and their stories to be told.

 

 

 

Click here to stream the full documentary,

Harriet Tubman | From the Railroad to a Spy

Proceeds benefit the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation Historic Gullah Land Preservation Program

The Story of Lowcountry Gullah

Lowcountry Gullah was developed to educate and more importantly document the richly significant Gullah culture and its contributions to the United States. As a historical resource and cultural tourism influencer, Lowcountry Gullah provides a necessary and central link to the cultural elements that have been woven into the fabric of our society. With a primary focus on the traditional cultural strengths on Hilton Head Island, Lowcountry Gullah is the bridge between all of the Gullah / Geechee communities throughout the designated Gullah / Geechee Corridor, which includes the Sea Islands that span from the eastern seaboard to 35 miles inland from Wilmington, North Carolina to St. Augustine, Florida.

Preserving the culture is the primary focus of Lowcountry Gullah. In order to sustain the culture, educating people through creating genealogical connections to the Gullah is an important component to our success. Lowcountry Gullah provides genealogy research assistance and guidance for individuals who are searching their ancestral roots as well as looking for a cultural foundation.

Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition

Lowcountry Gullah Video Snippets

If you haven’t subscribed to the Lowcountry Gullah YouTube Channel, subscribe and be the first to have access to new content.

Are You A Gullah Geechee?

Gullah Quilts | Stories Hidden in Plain Sight

The Story of Lawn Jockeys

The Story of Lost Friends

The Story of Rice

The Slave Bible

The Slave Wall

The Importance of Education

The Impact of Putting on a US Colored Troop Uniform

Interviews 

Coastal with Kathryn Episode – The History of the Gullah Geechee –

A Walk Around Mitchelville

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Huwpx7dWU

Documentaries

Freedom Day | Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville

Freedom Day | Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville is an epic documentary that explores the journey to freedom through the stories and conversations of the descendants of the way makers in Mitchelville. On this journey, you will meet the Aiken, Brown, Burke, Jones, and Lawyer families that have called Hilton Head Island for nearly 200 years. In addition to those families, you will find out how Harriet Tubman and the American Red Cross’s Clara Barton contributed to the success of Historic Mitchelville. Click here to watch the documentary.

Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom

What makes a holiday worth celebrating? Is it because it’s important to the majority? Or should significant dates for our country that mark a period of evolution and growth deserve recognition? What about ones that create a paragon shift in the trajectory of the nation? What about a date that memorializes one of the most pivotal moments in American history, one that commemorates the end of slavery and is the oldest and longest nationally celebrated holiday in the US? Does that deserve federal recognition? 

That date and holiday is on June 19^th, otherwise known as Juneteenth or Black independence day; the birth of freedom. The 19th is the date when the last Confederate state that was returned to the Union’s control, which in turn, set the slaves free. Slaves in other states had already received word that they had been freed, however, recognition and organized celebrations didn’t really begin until slaves everywhere were free. 

Sadly, the majority of Americans don’t know or even recognize the importance of this date to our history. Not in just Black History, but an important milestone in American history and the birth of freedom. Click here to watch Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom.

Also check out the articles Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom and Juneteenth | What’s All of This Talk about Reconstruction?

The Story of Caesar Ravenel

It’s not very often that we can learn about the stories of US Colored Troops. It can also be rare for them to get shared. The Story of USCT Soldier Caesar Ravenel, is among the few that not only have been found, but also has a great story to tell that provides a peek around the curtain of the past, our past; a place and time that we can’t always see behind.

Learning about Caesar Ravenel’s Civil War experiences, the battles he encountered, as well as his fortitude and obvious strong survival instincts, prove to me that he was an incredible fighter. He had the perseverance to live through a series of military campaigns that were daring, as well as dangerous. Historical information about the risks to escaped slaves fighting in the South posed additional issues to soldiers that faced torture, being returned or even death! Learn about Caesar’s story and his life as an escaped slave who was determined to became a soldier. His story, like so many other USCT Soldiers, tells of their strength and willingness to fight for not only his freedom, but for the liberation of all enslaved people.

Preserving Historic Hilton Head Island

Most tourists think of Hilton Head Island as a great place to golf or to spend the day at the beach. What most people don’t know is, that Hilton Head Island played a significant role on our nation’s history. The island is filled with incredibly rich historic assets, from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. From shore to shore, every inch on the island has a great and important story to tell.