Lowcountry Gullah

Being able to travel around the world and experience other cultures, tastes and languages is a gift that usually becomes imbedded in to our memories that we can cherish for a lifetime. For most people and destinations, that is definitely the case. Traveling to Africa, however, is not just a trip, nor is it just another stamp in your passport; especially if you are the descendent of an enslaved person. It is a spiritual and emotional experience that touches your spirit and connects with your soul. This episode is part one of several takeaways from my slave pilgrimage and tour of Ghana.

There's no argument that trees are important to our environment. They give us beauty and of course, shade. Most Gullah folktales involve trees, which always play a significant part in Gullah Geechee culture. Many trees grow for hundreds of years. Ever wonder if they could talk and see, what stories would they tell?

American history is full of dirty little secrets. It's uncomfortable and it is far from pretty. Regardless of what it is, it needs to be discussed, with all of the warts and blemishes that come along with it. Our story needs to be told along with our truth; telling it and sharing it exactly as it was.....raw, dirty and straight with no chaser. With truth telling should also include healing, which means reparations. Buckle UP for a raw and frank conversation with Dr. David Ragland from the Truth Telling Project on where we were, where we are and as a nation where we need to be!

We don't think about how important music is in our lives. For enslaved people, music was a source of strength that might have been one of the few things that helped them get throughout the day. Listen in on a fascinating conversation with Keeper of the Culture, Dr. Eric Crawford, the author of Gullah Culture in America, on the importance and power that music was and still is in our daily life.

History books are full of misinformation about slavery. They often depict the enslaved as slow, lazy and even ignorant people who needed direction, to become civilized, or incapable of being independent. Of course, that couldn't be further from the truth. The enslaved Gullah Geechee were the best of the best of the best. They were the highly skilled, technological craftsmen who were stolen for the knowledge that they brought with them, and the labor that they could provide.

The never ending debate about the past and history will probably not go away. So, how important is our history and why do we need to dwell on it? Is it that big of a deal for us to pass it down to our children? And if we do, who's telling the stories that we're sharing?

Growing up Gullah, Zenobia Harper was gifted with all of the rich foundations that the culture has to offer, but walked away from it. Now, she's not only embracing her Gullah roots, but she's actively working to preserve it for future generations.

The Lowcountry Gullah Podcast has been airing for three years and has more than 100 interviews available, all hosted by Luana Graves Sellars. In this episode, we flipped the script! The interviewer has become the interviewee! Here's the backstory on the creation of Lowcountry Gullah, the motivation behind it and just a little taste of my trip to Africa.

During enslavement, sometimes all that people had were the memories of oral traditions and stories that they could remember. Most of the folktales that were shared, were African in origin and interestingly enough, alot of those folktales continue to be the foundation and in a significant amount of the children's stories that we all know today.

Most museum's have theme and focus, as well as artifacts that one can peruse and appreciate for its artistic value or beauty. What makes the new International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston different, is that in addition to learning about the uniqueness of the Lowcountry, the African American experience and the Diaspora, this musuem makes it more personal. The IAAM deepens the knowledge of our culture by linking the history to our stories; which is how and why history becomes very relavent to all of us.