St. Helena Island, SC native Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) celebrated the 17th anniversary of being the first Gullah/Geechee to ever speak before the United Nations in Genevé, Switzerland on behalf of Gullah/Geechees by continuing to work to keep the culture alive.  She and the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition (www.gullahgeechee.net) which she founded in 1996 in order to insure that Gullah/Geechee traditions and landownership would continue celebrated the conclusion of another successful “Gullah/Geechee Nation Volunteer Month” in which hundreds of students came from around the world to historic St. Helena Island to participate in transformational learning and community service.   These students assisted with the digitization process for De Gullah/Geechee Alkebulan Archive which is the ONLY archive in the world totally dedicated to Gullah/Geechee history, heritage, and culture and also with projects at the landmark St. Helena Branch Library.

The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition provides exhibits from De Gullah/Geechee Alkebulan Archive to and host the “Gullah/Geechee Living History Series” at the St. Helena Branch Library.  The programs are FREE and open to the public.   Students were able to engage with Queen Quet and sweetgrass traditions keeper, Gregory Grant at the branch on Queen Quet’s April 1st anniversary as a part of this series.  Queen Quet is now looking forward to the entire community coming into the library to be a part of two major events regarding the healing and health of the Gullah/Geechee community that will take place this month.

On Saturday, April 16, 2016 from Noon to 5 pm, the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center will offer a FREE Cancer Educator Facilitator Training at the St. Helena Branch Library.  They seek to assist community members with identifying things that cause increased risk of cancer and also to provide knowledge on healthy lifestyle choices that can assist with lessening the incidents of cancer.   Participants in the training are required to pre-register by April 11.  They can go by the library to do this or email GullGeeCo@aol.com.

MUSC is also one of the many partners of the Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank along with the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and leaders of the Gullah/Geechee Nation which annually host the “Coastal Cultures Conference.”  The 4th annual conference which is being sponsored by the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, Gullah/Geechee Angel Network, Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association, South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, South Carolina Sea Grant, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Coastal Program of the US Fish & Wildlife Service will be hosted at the St. Helena Branch Library on Saturday, April 30th from 10 am to 5 pm.  An after party will be held at the Gullah/Geechee owned MJ’s Soul Food on the island and the public is invited to join everyone there at 7 pm as well.

Due to the support from the Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank which is seeking ways in which to continue focusing on human health and seafood safety, for the first time in the four year history of the “Coastal Cultures Conference” the registration is free.   Participants are required to pre-register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coastal-cultures-conference-2016-gwine-ta-de-wata-gullahgeechee-sea-island-sustainability-tickets-23352391632.

These events are all part of the “Gullah/Geechee Land & Legacy World Tour” which Queen Quet has been on for the past two and a half years.  It will culminate with the anniversary of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition in December.  Queen Quet continues to state her proverb, “Hunnuh mus tek cyare de root fa heal de tree.” and to provide the healing tools to the community in order to do so.  She is pleased with the progress that has seen made throughout the Gullah/Geechee Nation since the first time she stood up for her people’s human rights and she knows with the continued healing that is taking place, the Gullah/Geechees will be strong enough and empowered enough to continue the culture for many generations to come.

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