Finding Your Roots – Part 1
September 4, 2024
Want to find your roots? Listen in on why it’s a valuable and important journey to start.
Geechee culture
The History and Traditions Behind Gullah Foodways
July 31, 2023
Gullah Geechee foodways is one of the oldest practices and traditions that’s still being practiced in America today. At its foundation, slavery and the foodways are deeply rooted in cultural West African ancestral ties, as well as adaptability, creativity and circumstance. The meals were and still are designed to be hearty and provide the necessary sustenance and strength to get one through an arduous and physical day.
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.
The Foundation and Richness of Gullah Geechee Heritage
April 28, 2022
To the Gullah, acreage is more than just a lot that has value. It a priceless, tangible and visible daily reminder of the blood, sweat and tears that the ancestors experienced. Sure, land can be assessed and given a price tag, however, for the Gullah, because of all that went into the initial purchase of the land, the ultimate value of it is priceless. The value of which has made historic Gullah land the culture’s greatest asset.
Hilton Head Island’s Historic Gullah Neighborhoods
April 18, 2022
Hilton Head consists of only a few historic neighborhoods that represent the Gullah families that called them home for seven or more generations. Even though the majority of the communities are sprinkled around the northern tip of the island, culturally, boundaries didn’t exist when it came to the overall sense of community that was typical for the Gullah
The Lowcountry Gullah Podcast
April 8, 2022
Join Lowcountry Gullah every week to get a deeper dive into topics and information on culture, history and tradition.
Hosted weekly by Luana M. Graves Sellars, you’ll also get a chance to hear from guests from a variety of backgrounds who are knowledgeable keepers of the culture.
Hilton Head First Families | The Browns
February 11, 2022
The Brown family is unique, genealogically speaking, because their family tree has been traced back to 1825, before emancipation. Documenting this kind of information about a black family is truly rare. The Browns’ story reveals a rich history, and includes information and details that paint a clear and beautiful picture of this vibrant family for future generations to treasure.
Changing Perspectives | Written In Stone – Part One
January 10, 2022
This trip, however, unexpectedly and drastically has changed my perspective completely. So, imagine my mind blowing moment that I discovered that one of the most treasured aspects of the cities that I have enjoyed all of my life, had been quietly telling me the story behind its every foundations; of its development; its origins in being a water front port, and in the case of Savannah and Charleston, its clearly defined roll in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
Changing Perspectives | Markings Left Behind – Part 2
January 10, 2022
Remnants of captivity aren’t hard to find. One thing that the Atlantic Slave Trade demonstrated was that it was founded on economics and strategic captures. The enslaved were targeted and captured because they were highly skilled. Whether they were Mende rice farmers for the Lowcountry along the sea islands, who could engineer the intricate trunks that diked the waters or Ashanti builders for Savannah that knew construction, iron work or brick making, reminders of their incredible talents are not hard to find.
