A Gullah Christmas
December 3, 2021
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Christmas is a world-wide tradition, yet in the Gullah community,
Gullah History
The Gullah Ring Shout
August 21, 2021
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.
Hilton Head First Families | The Young’s
August 14, 2021
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.
The History of the Gullah & the Geechee – A Walk Around Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
August 14, 2021
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Gullah Bottle Trees
July 30, 2021
By Luana M. Graves Sellars Yard after yard, in the front of Gullah homes, variations
What is Haint Blue?
July 15, 2021
Sometimes called robins egg blue or carolina blue, haint blue is more than just a popular Lowcountry color. Used on porch ceilings or a home’s front entrance, haint blue is rooted in Gullah tradition and represents a deeper spiritual meaning.
Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park | What’s the Master Plan?
June 29, 2021
“We believe that Mitchelville is a once in a lifetime story,” adds Ahmad. It’s a place “where African Americans had the opportunity to become citizens and create institutions that continue to exist today,” such as compulsory education “which was a priority.”Names like Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, Robert Smalls, Secretary of War, Simon Cameron and Abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison all spent time in Mitchelville. “Folks don’t know who was here and the type of VIP’s who came to Hilton Head.”
Following the Past’s Footprints | The Honey Horn Slave Project
June 19, 2021
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.
Juneteenth | The Birth Of Freedom
June 10, 2021
As important as the 4th is, June 19th, otherwise known as Juneteenth, is Black Independence Day; the day that the last enslaved people of Texas finally received word that they were free.
Recognized as the longest continuous holiday in the US, join in an exciting journey though the origins of Juneteenth and the Birth of Freedom from 1865 to where we are today.
The Story Of Lowcountry Gullah
May 14, 2021
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.
