Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor

“The Ghosts are Dying.”

Althea N. Sumpter

UNESCO defined intangible cultural heritage in 2003 in order to memorialize cultural contributions beyond objects, as those ancestral traditions, language, social, artistic, performing, culinary, craftsmanship and festivities. Gullah Geechee is the single distinctly African creole language in the US. On October 12, 2006 the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a National Heritage Area, was inaugurated by the U.S. Congress. The goal of the corridor is to preserve and showcase the singular Gullah Geechee cultural manifestations over a 400year period. The corridor specifically maintains the language, arts, craftsmanship and cuisine that was an outgrowth of the enslaved Africans and their descendants, enforced labor on the isolated Sea Island plantations Visitors can immerse themselves in the lifestyles and view tangible, intangible and ongoing history at the 32 designated sites. #DiscoverSC

The corridor consists of the Sea Islands and 35-miles inland of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Approximately one-million people live within the 12,000 square mile Gullah Geechee National Heritage Area. The Gullah have been identified as inhabiting the coast of North and South Carolina while those who live on Georgia and the Sea Islands and Florida’s coast are referred to as Geechee.

In the early 1700s slaves were imported into the Low Country in small numbers but, spurred by the need for laborers, the 1790 census shows that 75% of Charleston’s population was enslaved. South Carolina’s crops, indigo, Carolina Gold rice and Sea Island cotton, required intense labor and enduring severe conditions. Two-thirds of the enslaved born in the Low Country did not live to become 16-years old. The vast majority were Africans from West and Central Africa captured because they already had rice growing and metalworking skills.

The newly opened International African American Museum (IAAM) is located on Gasden’s Wharf, in the historic Charleston Port where nearly half of the US’ captured Africans arrived. The IAAM presents an outstanding introduction to the slave’s experience and the enduring aspects of the culture that they brought with them. There are 12 permanent exhibits and 9 galleries. The galleries include Gullah Geechee, the TransAtlantic Experience and a Geneaology section. #IAAM

Charleston built a lazaretto in 1707 and it was used as an isolation house to inspect slaves prior to entry into the population. They were held from 10 to 40 days. The first house in the area was built on Sullivan’s Island. The structure was made of brick, had no windows or ceiling and was 30’X16’. Unruly and recalcitrant enslaved were thrown overboard at the lazarettos. The buildings are no longer standing.

In 1858 William McLeod completed the 3-story main house of the Southern Colonial Revival McLeod Plantation. Six, 20’ x 12’ foot slave cabins still exist on Transition Row, as well as the slave bell hanging in a tree. This site presents an overview of antebellum life. The plantation has researched the slaves who worked there. McLeod owned 72 slaves and the plantation was first in area cotton production. During the Civil War the house became a Confederate field hospital. At the end of the war the Freedman’s Bureau was housed there and the 54th and 55th USCT occupied the land. Curated tours are offered including the architecture, the family, Sea Island cotton, the enslaved and Gullah culture. Call for tour dates and times.

Beaufort’s Jah’Lion Grill & Bar showcases the culinary connection between the Caribbean and Carolina’s slave trade. Slaves were considered more valuable if they were imported from Caribbean plantations where they were oriented to plantation life. These slaves, seasoned in the islands, were prized. Jah’Lion’s cuisine consists of traditional Caribbean dishes and an outstanding cocktail menu.

Planters left the area after Union occupation, abandoning 10,000 slaves on the islands. St. Helena Island is the center of Gullah culture. Penn Center, National Landmark District, is a campus housing the former Penn School. The school, from a Sears catalog, was one of the first schools created for the education of the former enslaved. Tuition was $3-$4 for grades 1-12. Later the school was a haven for Civil Rights activists. The island bridge and the area were guarded by the Gullah people. M.L. King visited often to meet and retreat. In the Hastings Gantt cottage King penned the “I have a dream” speech. Be certain to visit the museum, visitor center and gift shop. Tours are offered. nationalparks.org/explore-parks/reconstruction-era-national-monument

Gullah-Geechee Sea Island Coalition is filled with 3.5-million-year-old verdite and Shona African carvings. A tour takes you through the story of pre-slavery Africa to modern Low Country culture. The items were collected by Pastor Hodges and are display and can be purchased along with authentic jewelry and décor items.

Gullah Grub Restaurant has been serving authentic Gullah dishes for 15-years. Meals are seasonal, locally sourced and traditionally prepared. Tip: Eat oysters only in months that end in “R.”

Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is the most dazzling of SC’s hidden gems. It is the first and only civil rights museum in the state. If present Mr. Williams will give an orientation and lead a tour. The issues that are highlighted here are Briggs vs. Elliot, the 1st case about segregation in public education, also known as Brown vs. Board of Education and the Orangeburg Massacre. The massacre, led by police officers, resulted in the wounding of 28 and the killing of 3 college students. Showcase exhibits include the two dolls used in the Brown case, Althea Gibson and Thurgood Marshall’s personal items and numerous iconic photographs taken by Mr. Williams. He was a professional photographer from the age of 11. The museum is located in his home, designed and built by Williams.

The proprietors of Thee Matriarch Bed and Breakfast, in Orangeburg are Rachelle and Fred Holmes. They provide a Southern-style stay with deluxe accommodations, curated artworks, creative amenities and astonishing culinary selections. Rochelle’s Island Sweet Tea is the Winner of “Peoples’ Choice Best Sweet Tea.” The Holmes are hospitality personified. www.TheeMatriarch.com

Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, housed in a 1937 Sinclair Gas Station, is located in Ridgeland. The museum’s mission is to collect and teach Lowcountry heritage. Galleries explore the culture using art and immersive activities.

Chef Chris Williams founded Roy’s Grille in Irmo in 2014. Using skills learned from his mother and grandmother he crafts made-from-scratch, award-winning, dishes created using his personal sauces, rubs and heritage recipes. While there you must try the fried ribs. They guarantee you will return.

Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles in Columbia, SC is owned by Kitwanda “Kiki” and Tyrone Cyrus, opened in 2012. The soul food menu is creative, delicious and award-winning. The featured Chicken and waffles are sublime.

It is said that “The Ghosts are Dying.” These ghosts are keepers of the community memories and traditions. The Gullah have chosen to become living repositories of their own stories. Gullah tradition was to bury the dead facing east, and, if possible, near the water. This practice enabled the spirit to return to Africa. These ancestors can return to Africa knowing that are not dead and there are new keepers of the legacy.