The Lowcountry Story of Rice

June 24, 2023

By Luana M. Graves Sellars Enslaved women on a rice barge in Georgetown, SC Any

The Slave Preacher | Reverend Murchison

November 25, 2022

As the first Mayor of the Historic Town of Mitchelville, the first Black Mayor in the United States and the first pastor of Hilton Head Island’s oldest church, , Reverend Murchison, an escaped slave from Savannah, was also a significant influence on the Civil War effort and countless generations of Gullah families. After establishing the First African Baptist Church in 1862 with 120 members, all of whom were contrabands, Reverend Murchison went on to baptize and marry 1,000’s of freedmen who lived on the island’s Historic Town of Mitchelville.

Melvin Campbell | Deep Roots Grounded in Service

June 15, 2022

Campbell has such an incredibly strong connection to his island home, it’s easy to see why the path that he has taken in life continues. Grounded in rich Gullah family traditions and connections to the island that stretch over six generations, it’s no surprise that most of the Campbell family has made an indelible mark on the island, from cultural preservation to civic involvement.