Gullah Culture
Gullah Heritage Tours
Gullah Heritage Tour Guides, including Gullah historian Emory Campbell, are all of Gullah heritage, born and raised on Hilton Head Island. Tour guides share their expertise with tour participants to provide the most accurate and engaging of cultural experiences. If you are interested in learning more about Gullah culture and Gullah Heritage Trail Tours, visit Gullah Heritage Tours, 70 Honey Horn Rd., Hilton Head, SC, Monday - Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island Tour - Duey's Little House
The first phase of the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island was completed in 2010 with the restoration of the “The Little House”. William Simmons, built the "Little House" for his grandson, William “Duey” Simmons in 1930. The restoration of Duey's "Little House" won the Palmetto Trust's "Governor's Award" for preservation, in 2011. The interior of the house is either original or replicated with furnishings, decorations and everyday objects that were typical of Gullah life.
Gullah Museum of HHI Founder Louise Miller Cohen is the great-grand daughter of William Simmons. She offers tours of Duey's Little House at the Gullah Museum site. Tours are scheduled Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment, 11:00AM or 2:00PM. To arrange a tour, visit Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island |
Gospel
African Americans' spiritual beliefs and practices were a core element of the worlds they created for themselves within the strictures of the white man's plantation. Even as the gods of Africa gave way to the God of Christianity, the African heritage of singing, dancing, spirit possession, and magic continued to influence Afro-American spirituals, ring shouts, and folk beliefs. The legacy of African American gospel illustrates a "creative adaptability" in the religious practice of antebellum African Americans, enslaved and free. From National Humanities "The Making of African American Identity"
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Lowcountry Gullah Food
Chef Dye Scott-Rhodan takes an active role in keeping Gullah culture alive. An outland Gullah from Ridgeland, Dye feels fortunate to have been raised in a household where Gullah legends, traditions and customs were shared from one generation to the next. She’s passionate about maintaining that connection to the past. “The younger generation needs to understand why their grandmother says things differently than they do,” she explains. “It’s part of our history. It can’t fall through the cracks and be forgotten." From "Keeping Gullah Culture on the Front Burner" article by Katie McElveen
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Fishing, Shrimping, Oystering
Fishing has been and continues to be an important aspect of Gullah Culture, not only as a means to make a living and feed the family, but also as a community touchstone. Church gatherings, family reunions, fundraisers and community celebrations are often pot luck fish fries or oyster roasts.
Benny Hudson's Sea Food, which sits on Skull Creek and the Bluffton Oyster Factory, with its dock on the May River, both receive fish and shellfish directly from fisherman. Both have become institutions in the area. |
Marsh Tacky Horse
After being left on the sea islands by the Spanish these small sturdy horses evolved to be able to digest sea grass and developed broader hoofs, making it easier to walk on the soft marsh mud. The Gullah islanders used Marsh Tackys for plowing, transportation and for hunting. The Marsh Tacky races grew out of a Christmas tradition. When the Gullah would visit their neighbors on Christmas Day, the men would race their Marsh Tackys from one house to the next. Meanwhile, the women would dance down the road together, singing.
The Coastal Discovery Museum is home to several Marsh Tacky Horses. Possibly the most popular ‘exhibit’ at the Museum. "Comet" and "Darling" spend most days in their fenced pasture on site while staying the nights in the historic Horse Barn, built in the 1930s. Once endangered, the Marsh Tacky horse is making a comeback thanks to the conservation efforts of the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association. |
Churches
Christian churches continue to hold a powerful central role in the lives of the Gullah people, providing not only spiritual sustenance but a sense of community and cultural continuity. The churches of the Gullah people of Hilton Head Island include First African Baptist Church, Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Central Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Queen Chapel AME Church, St. James Baptist Church and New Church of Christ.
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The Juke Joint
Juke joint (or jook joint) is the vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African American people in the southeastern United States. The term "juke" is believed to derive from the Gullah word joog, meaning rowdy or disorderly. From Wikipedia.
If you need to shake your tail feather before then, enjoy Ruby Lee's, 46 Old Wild Horse Road, Hilton Head Island. They feature soul food and local Gullah musicians including the renowned Reggie Deas of Deas-Guys. |