SC African American Heritage – Gullah Culture, Language, Traditions

This language, which is primarily a mixture of English and African, made communication between planters and slaves possible.

Gullah – An Overview

• Gullah Language & Culture - a brief, wonderful introduction
• What is Gullah? - overview - includes example words, foods, beliefs
  
• Where is Gullah? - map of Gullah's native range, along the southern coast from upper Florida to lower North Carolina
  

SC Gullah Language

• The Gullah Creole Language
• The Gullah Language & Sea Island Culture
• Gullah Glossary - hundreds of words!
• Examples of Gullah - also, scroll down to see how Gullah compares to Krio, the English-based creole language spoken in Sierra Leone

SC Gullah Festivals, Events

• Gullah Festival - Beaufort
  
• Native Islander Gullah Celebration - Hilton Head Island
  

SC Black Music, Dance

• History of the Cake Walk
• Religious Music: The African Roots - shouts, spirituals
  
• Influence of Africa: Call and response, syncopation, and timbre - includes audio clips
  

SC Black Art, Crafts

• Folk Art of Charleston and the South Carolina Low Country
• Lifestyle of the Mende People of South Carolina - African traditions and crafts retained in Gullah cluture
  
• Sea Grass Baskets
  From Africa to South Carolina: The Sea Grass Basket Tradition

SC Black Churches, cemeteries

• Historically black churches
• Graveyards, cemeteries - also includes information about burial traditions, fellowship societies, and current preservation efforts

SC Black Food

• Lowcountry Recipes - Frogmore Stew, benne wafers, and more!

More West African Tradition

• Transatlantic Linkage: The Gullah/Geechee-Sierra Leone Connection

National Heritage Corridor Trails

• Introduction - overview of the trail program as well as the cultural influences and achievements of African-Americans in the SC lowcountry
  – Coastal Trail - highlights the heritage of slaves and freedmen along SC's coast - begins in McClellanville and ends on Edisto Island
  – Folkways and Communities Trail - explores the inland rural and urban communities of Colleton, Dorchester, and Charleston counties