Watch the The Story of Lowcountry Gullah
Who We Are
Lowcountry Gullah is the culmination of several years of experience being immersed within the Hilton Head Island Gullah community and a body of work highlighting the culture and its people. For several years, writer Luana M. Graves Sellars has developed a large local and national following for her Gullah articles and stories, which focus on the history and culture. As a result of an ongoing demand for access to over 200 previously published magazine and future articles, as well as requests for speaking engagements, Lowcountry Gullah fills the void for a central source and online location for Gullah information.
People are starving for historic information, as well as a genealogic connection to their heritage on a local and global level. For the Black community, especially, having a tangible connection to the Gullah culture provides a priceless sense of identity. In a time where ancestry research and identifying one’s “self” is a significant part of our society, it is the perfect time to promote the Gullah culture and its relevance to our society to a broader audience.
Lowcountry Gullah is the first “one stop shop” for the Gullah culture throughout the congressionally designated Gullah / Geechee Corridor with a focus on providing information and stimulating cultural tourism. Our site www.lowcountrygullah.com serves as an interconnected resource between Gullah cultural assets.
Our Board of Director’s includes community leaders from the Gullah Community. The Board of Directors are : Jazmin M. Sellars, Melvin Campbell, Herbert Ford, Fred Hamilton and Luana M. Graves Sellars.
What We Do
Lowcountry Gullah was developed to promote 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.
The promotion of the culture is the primary focus of Lowcountry Gullah. In order to promote 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.
In addition to being a source for all things Gullah, Lowcountry Gullah is a non-profit 501 (c) 4 that provides a direct connection to the culture through land preservation and other critical issues that affect the community.
Why We Do What We Do
The Gullah community and culture has been in my ways dismissed and ignored, even though it has been a significant part of America’s historical story. So many Gullah are living disadvantaged lives, without some of the basic residential needs that many people take for granted, like sewer connections, fire hydrants and drainage. In addition, heirs property and resort development has caused the unique issue of a consistent loss of generational property. These issues are significant and are destroying the culture.
Lowcountry Gullah was formed through the stories and history of the Gullah culture. The information came from the community. The sole purpose of Lowcountry Gullah is to give back to the community. Lowcountry Gullah utilizes a non-profit approach, so that any financial resources earned through grants and donations will go directly back to the community in the form of land preservation, heirs property protection and education.
Preserving the culture and providing a consistent voice for the community is a continuous role in conjunction with other Gullah cultural partners throughout the Gullah Geechee Corridor.
What We Have Achieved
Since its public launch on July 10, 2019, Lowcountry Gullah received attention from an audience that’s local, national and more than 30 countries worldwide. The audience clearly demonstrates a significant interest in Gullah culture.
The site drives tourism by highlighting and promoting the significant contributions that the culture and its people have made to our community and American society. By providing a window, as well as an informational resource into the culture, Lowcountry Gullah enables the Gullah Geechee Corridor to be seen as a cultural tourism destination with the backdrop of a great location to vacation.
Lowcountry Gullah has a presence and following, that’s been shared internationally. As interest and curiosity about genealogy and “where I come from” expands, more and more, people are realizing how entrenched the Gullah culture is into the fabric of our society. The attention and awareness that the culture has garnered has made heritage and cultural tourism become a popular influencer for vacation selection for affluent, active, informed and frequent travelers who are looking for authentic educational experiences. By tapping into an audience that’s craving broader travel experiences and richer cultural adventures, Lowcountry Gullah would reach a different type of tourist.
As a cultural influencer and through the promotion of the culture, Lowcountry Gullah is the bridge that connects all of the island’s historical preservation and cultural assets. Site visitors receive a virtual tour of the area, including pictures that encourage further investigation and a sample of what one could expect upon visiting. Through articles, images and stories, Lowcountry Gullah highlights, cross promotes and collaborates with the Mitchelville Freedom Park, the Gullah Museum and the Gullah Heritage Tours. The success of Lowcountry Gullah is directly tied to the success and sustainability of Gullah culture.
Lowcountry Gullah™ and www.lowcountrygullah.com, copyright 2019-2029. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lowcountry Gullah and www.lowcountrygullah.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Any unauthorized duplication, download or reprint of images or content from this website for promotional or commercial use is strictly prohibited without written permission from Lowcountry Gullah. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Trademark pending.