The 40th Annual Gullah Festival
- Marla Mossman
- Jun 27
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 30
The Original Gullah Festival held in the antebellum city of Beaufort S.C began 40 years ago to preserve the culture of the descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans brought to the Southern United States.
Due to their unique expertise in the cultivation of rice and indigo, they were sold to work the Lowcountry plantations of St. Helena. Sapelo. Daufuskie. Hilton Head. Edisto. Johns Island.
Gullah is primarily of the South Carolina island while Geechee is of the islands of Georgia.
Situated in these isolated Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia they maintained their African traditions and developed the Creole language known as Gullah Geeche. A blend of English with a mix of the African original words
“Each island holds the voices of ancestors, the rhythm of survival, and the heartbeat of Gullah life.”
“The geography shaped the culture.
The isolation safeguarded the language.
The land gave us a place to root, remember, and rise.”
Over 3 days The Original Gullah Festival it is a celebration of food, music, art and dance.
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