A Gullah Christmas
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Christmas is a world-wide tradition, yet in the Gullah community,
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Christmas is a world-wide tradition, yet in the Gullah community,
The true mark of kindness and humility is found in someone who doesn’t even recognize the impact that they have on the people around them. That’s how Betty Days has always lived her life. Raised in the Gullah culture as part of a community that when one has, all has, for Betty, the act of doing for one another just comes naturally.
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.
The island’s first families who were also residents of Mitchelville, is a relatively short list, so armed with the information that Mr. Moon actually lived in Mitchelville, and with the names of his grandparents, Sammy and Ella Young, I set out to find stories about the Young’s first recorded generations. I wanted to see if I could find out more about Mr. Moon’s great great grandparents. Genealogy research can be an exciting mystery that reveals seductive clues as it slowly brings the past to life. It also can be very frustrating, because sometimes the puzzle being built will never become a complete picture. Missing pieces of data, or documents may never be found due to carelessness and mishandled records, fires, or what I call the dreaded “1865 Slave Wall.” 1865 is the pivotal point in time prior to Emancipation when Black Americans’ lives were not officially documented.
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By Luana M. Graves Sellars Yard after yard, in the front of Gullah homes, variations
Maintaining the family business is important, not only because of the financial benefits that it provides, but because it’s a vital part of the preservation of the island and the family’s Gullah culture.
Born in 1918, Mother Ethel Rivers is recognized as the oldest living Gullah, and has the distinction of being the only living former resident of Hilton Head Island’s historic Mitchelville. She is the keeper of the native islanders’ history, and she is revered by all who know her.
One of the perks that growing up on an island that was designed with golfing as its focus is, that eventually you’ll pick up the game. That’s what happened to a group of the island’s Gullah children; growing up being surrounded by golf courses, they were inspired to get into the game. And play they do. But that’s getting ahead of the story.
By Luana M. Graves Sellars The Marsh Tacky is “more than a horse. It represents