By Luana M. Graves Sellars Along Savannah’s River Street you’ll see areas that were specifically built to confine slaves, called a Barracoon or slave castle. Savannah has a rich Geechee
Known island-wide as the Hilton Head Storyteller, Louise, who, at 73 years old, passionately and tirelessly breathes life into Gullah stories, while fighting to keep the history and culture of Hilton Head’s native islanders alive. As the curator of the Gullah Museum, Louise dedicates her life to collecting, protecting and preserving Gullah stories and artifacts for future generations.
On February 6, 1862, General Thomas Sherman initiated General Order No. 9, which outlined a plan for the abandoned plantations and opened the door for Northern societies to send volunteers and workers South to aid the freedmen. Once the Union Army occupied the island, the Port Royal Experiment began. This was a massive humanitarian effort to address the needs of the 10,000 newly freed men, women and children.
So where did the words
Gullah and Geechee come from? There’s a lot of speculation about their origins.
So are you a Gullah or a Geechee?
Over time, the names have been combined and have become interchangeable.
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Rich in Gullah history, Daufuskie Island is a short boat ride away from Hilton Head Island. Both islands are intertwined in Gullah culture and deep
When true talent collides like that, there’s no telling what will happen. Besides, that’s the kind of collision that turns into a good thing. Especially when it’s about to happen right here on Hilton Head.
After the war, having an army pension was almost a life and death matter for these newly freed slaves. Many soldiers had to obtain witnesses to help them verify who they were, and that they were in fact veterans of the Civil War. Matthew Jones, one of the early residents of Historic Mitchelville, was one of those soldiers.
The Bible says, “Honor a physician with the honor due unto him…” and Dr. Hector Esquivel has lived a life of service that deserves the highest honor and respect.
The language is almost like a code, spoken in a way that enables a conversation to be had without detection, to leave the non Gullah listener clueless as to what outsiders could be hearing.
Mitchelville is much more than an old plot of land. It’s the birthplace of blacks who became free from a life of bondage. A place where slaves were given a chance to self-govern and establish roots of their own in a land that they had adopted as their own, as well as maintain culture and traditions that continue today. The Mitchelville Preservation Project has been and continues to collect stories and artifacts that demonstrate the richness of the story of Mitchelville.
