CURRENTS
NC Rice Festival
Celebration of Gullah Culture and History STORY BY JAN MORGAN-SWEGLE
W
hat does freedom mean to you? And if you lost that freedom, how would you react? Would you give in to the new norm? Would you fight a fight that could not be won? Or would you hold on to the history that you know and respect so that your children would know their true origins? History is the study of change over time. It is a look back at victories and defeats; highs and lows. It is a working map for society to follow or reject—depending on recorded events and the impact those events had on people all over the world. An excellent illustration of this “working map,” is the North Carolina Rice Festival, which will be held on March 4 and 5 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center. Event organizer and Board Chair of the North Carolina Rice Festival, Inc., George Beatty, said that the festival is a “celebration of the economic history of our county and the people who greatly contributed to it.” He continued, “We want to not only celebrate, but educate. We need to resurrect the overall history of Brunswick County.” George is an excellent storyteller who weaves the past into an intricate tapestry of the future. He said the history of this area has roots in Africa where the people in coastal areas, like Sierra Leone, developed the expertise of growing and harvesting African rice. Slave traders were told to find growers from “the rice coast” in Africa and bring them to the South because plantation owners in the Carolinas discovered that African rice would grow in this region better than Asian rice and the African growers had the knowledge and expertise to develop and build effective irrigations systems and dams. These grow-
ers may have been part of the “Gola,” tribe, who inhabited the border areas between what are now Sierra Leone and Liberia. Or, they could be part of the “Dyula” (pronounced Gwullah,”) tribal group captured by European slavers in modern day Liberia. But the enslaved African growers brought more to the southern regions than their growing expertise—they brought their traditions and parts of their language. The African enslaved persons working on the southern plantations were removed from contact with their white owners. They developed what is called a “Creole culture” in an effort to hold on to their rituals and culture. Their language, sometimes known as “Sea Island Creole,” is an English-based Creole combining their African words and dialect with English. The language, which became known as “Gullah,” is a form of linguistic diversity; they were holding on to one world while they lived in another. The word, “Geechee,” refers to descendants of the West African growers who were located in the “low country” of South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. In the 1860s, 90 percent of the rice grown in North Carolina came from the efforts of the enslaved people of Brunswick County. It was the major “cash crop,” and there were more than 50 plantations in Brunswick County that counted rice as their primary crop. Life was good for plantation owners in the South. But then came the Civil War which did more than divide the country. It changed lives and lifestyles. Plantation owners lost their farms to taxes and the
George Beatty, left with Gerald Decker, right
4 Leland Magazine /February /February 2022/ www.LelandMag.com
newly emancipated slaves did not have the resources to get back to their native Africa. “The connection to the African rice coast was broken by the slave system. Generations of blacks would never know their true heritage or families because there was a world between them,” George explained. So, after all of this time, how can descendants of these enslaved rice growers bridge the gap that separates their new world ancestry with their old-world heritage? According to George, “in order to re-establish blood lines and tribal connections, (at the Rice Festival) there will be on-site DNA testing kits which, when processed, will be matched with the largest DNA database of African tribal groups from various regions of Africa. Those who want a DNA test done at the Festival will get a discount on the processing fee.” The Festival will include activities inside the Leland Cultural Arts Center and outside as well. There will be food trucks onsite, arts and crafts for sale, and “Ring Shouters,” who are worshippers that move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping while chanting. One of the high points of the Festival will be historical presentations by the cultural story teller, Aunt Pearlie Sue, a character created by Anita Singleton-Prather, based on her grandmother. She has been called “the keeper of the culture.” Her stories of enslaved Africans’ life in the fields have resonated with all cultures for many years. The event closes with jazz from LeRoy Harper, Jr., and the AllStarz, who was the “horn man” for James Brown.
Inside the Center, there will be video presentations of how history affects us today, the history of rice growing, a documentary called “Gullah Roots” (produced by South Carolina eTV), a panel discussion led by Dr. Victoria Smalls, Executive Director of the Gullah Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and Jonathan Green, the first person of Gullah ancestry to develop his painting skills at a professional art school. He is best known for his depictions of the Gullah culture and has shown his work in many major galleries around the country. Sponsors for the event include the Town of Leland, the Department of Leland Tourism, the Brunswick Arts Council, WWAY TV3, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Restoration and the Orton Foundation. Sponsorships for the event are still available. Visit www. northcarolinaricefestival.org, for more details about the events. History is often told from the perspective of the victor, which doesn’t tell the whole story. The North Carolina Rice Festival gives a look at the perspective of the enslaved people from Africa who helped build the economy of this area all while holding on to those things that connected them to their ancestors. They held fast to rituals, art, and worship so that their children and those of future generations would know, understand and appreciate their stolen history. If you lost your freedom, could you do the same?
