St. Helena Island, SC is the home to a thriving Gullah/Geechee community.  It is one of the largest contiguous Gullah/Geechee communities in the Gullah/Geechee Nation from Jacksonville, NC to Jacksonville, FL.  Many of the families on St. Helena Island can recount stories of rice fields that were planted and harvested by their elders and their ancestors.  Last year, Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) who is a native of St. Helena Island was presented with rice seeds by the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation and Dr. Francis Morean.  She was able to grow rice where her grandfather last grew it decades ago on the island.

Queen Quet is returning to Trinidad and Tobago in March on the “Save the Sea Islands World Tour” in order to provide a keynote address at the “TnT International Hill Rice Symposium” where she delivered a keynote in 2016.   From there, she will return to her home island to host the “Gullah/Geechee Gold Rice Festival” in conjunction with the St. Helena Island Community Market on Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Park at the intersection of Highway 21/Sea Island Parkway and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive on St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation.  This event that is being sponsored by the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, St. Helena Island Community Market, and All Mobile Productions™ (AMP™) is FREE and open to the public, but they do request that attendees obtain passes on EventBrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gullahgeechee-gold-rice-festival-tickets-33639130545.

The “Gullah/Geechee Gold Rice Festival” will celebrate the history of rice amongst the Gullah/Geechee.  Traditional Gullah/Geechee rice dishes will be on sale along with other Gullah/Geechee crafts, books, CDs, and DVDs.  There will be music provided by All Mobile Productions™ (AMP™) at this festival celebrating cultural heritage and the historic legacy of the Gullah/Geechee.  Bring de famlee and jayn we!  Cum nyam pun wha we nyam pun mongst de Gullah/Geechee.

• Posted in: Carolina Gold Rice ♦ Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation ♦ Gullah/Geechee Businesses and Industries ♦ Gullah/Geechee Crafts ♦ Gullah/Geechee Events ♦ Gullah/Geechee Foodways ♦ Gullah/Geechee Ourstory ♦ Gullah/Geechee Riddim Radio Education Links ♦ Gullah/Geechee TV Educational Links ♦ Queen Quet ♦ Uncategorized
• Tagged: Black history, Carolina Gold Rice, cultural events, cultural heritage, festival, Geechee, Gullah, gullah geechee nation, Gullah/Geechee Gold Rice Festival, Queen Quet, rice, Sea Islands, South Carolina, St. Helena Island, St. Helena Island Community Market