aditions that the Gullah maintained within the church might not continue to be consistently followed, it doesn’t mean that they are forgotten. One such African tradition is of the ring shout. In a time when slaves did not have access to instruments, the ability to make music or a beat was made from their using objects found close by or in most cases, their bodies. Drums were made from whatever raw materials that were available.
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Photo Credit – LMGS | This plaque is posted at the front door of the
During the process of repairing the damage, FEMA found a slave site and unearthed artifacts and imprints of slave dwellings on the Coastal Discovery grounds. Previously, the museum didn’t have any slave records regarding the property. Once the discovery was made, Matt Sanger, an archeologist from SUNY Binghamton who has been working on other local digs at the Zion Cemetery and Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, made an interesting find. Two years ago, Sanger found what he believed to be slave cabins on a 1850s map in the National Archives. After additional research and using remote sensing, Sanger was able to find an outline of cabins on the property.
People are starving for historic information, as well as a genealogical 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.
“Enslaved people came with the knowledge of how to produce ceramic. Finding the ceramics was unexpected. We had thought that we would find other types of daily life like; nails, glass bones or other types of cooking ware and scattered pieces. So far, the Mitchelville dig has showed a serious intention or effort when one object, in particular, was found. As the dig was progressing, they realized that that area “was not only special, but also religious.” The types of ceramics that have been found where used in religious ceremonies and could have been bought or traded in the 1800s.
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Artwork by Gullah Sonja Griffin Evans Gullah art is unique
Freedom Day: Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville an epic documentary that will explore 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.
By Luana M. Graves Sellars If you’re reading this on February 1st, Happy Freedom Day!
Cherry Hill
Representing the vital importance of education to the Gullah, the Cherry Hill School still stands as yet another cherished location along the Beach City Corridor. Built in 1937, and financially maintained by Gullah community, the one room schoolhouse taught 30 elementary students between 1st and 5th grade.
