Joining the church, at one time, was an ancestral African tradition called seeking.
The practice was based in the thought that since God and the ancestors communicated through dreams, the interpretation of the dream, represented achieving spirituality.
Known affectionately as the “Rain Lady,” Mary Ford was one of the best-known voices on the island; her voice was soul-piercing, and it lifted and carried her listeners anywhere she chose to take them. With or without musical instruments as backup, for over 60 years, Mary had been belting out her earthy alto tones with heartfelt joy while she gave her community the beautiful gift of music.
It’s not often that you have the opportunity to spend time with a centenarian; it’s a chance to pause and to take notes. Time with her is a chance to peek behind the historic curtain and receive first-hand knowledge and unexpected details from someone’s past. Still active and clear in her memories, Mother Ethel Rivers comes across as if she’s decades younger. It’s only when she starts to share her rich past that you realize how much of a rare island treasure that she is. She, however, doesn’t think so.
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Cover artwork American Gullah By Sonja Griffin Evans “Good colored
