Ef hunnuh waan kno de trut bout who webe, hunnuh hafa jayn dem who be Gullah/Geechee! Jayn we fa “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week 2024” fa “Gullah/Geechee Tekin a Stand and Healin de Land!”
Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week 2024 begins on historic St. Helena Island, SC Saturday, July 27th at Penn Center with the opening ceremony starting at Noon. This is the global Gullah/Geechee family reunion-“Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day!” The event is hosted by Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. This year, songstress Adrianne Johnson is the featured artist along with DJ Kwame Sha of All Mobile Productions™(AMP™) and DJ Apollo.
This year, Gullah/Geechee Bike & Beauty is back! It has also been added to the activities of Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day. Prizes will be issued to the Black biker with the best bike and the motorcycle club that represents the Gullah/Geechee culture and their club the best. Black bike clubs are encouraged to rev up and roll out!
Folks should arrive by Noon in order to be a part of the opening libation ceremony and they should bring chairs, drums and tambourines as well as water bottles in order to stay hydrated throughout the day. The event will take place rain or shine. Activities will take place outdoors and indoors. The Dr. York W. Bailey Museum will be open as will Darrah Hall which is part of the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.
Numerous Gullah/Geechee traditional craft artists will have items for sale throughout the day and Queen Quet will be autographing her new children’s book which is written in the Gullah language along with many other Gullah/Geechee history books. There will be a wide array of Gullah/Geechee traditional food and sweets available as well.
On both Sundays of the week, participants are encouraged to worship at one of the historic Gullah/Geechee churches, mosque, synagogues or praise houses.
Monday is “Yeddi de Eldas” day. Folks are encouraged to visit native Gullah/Geechee elders and not only take them gifts and meals but also spend time on the porches with them to hear their stories.
Tuesday and Thursday are “Gullah/Geechee Tour & Taste” days. Make sure to take “Dayclean Journeys Tour” in Coastal Georgia or Hilton Head Island, SC or book a tour and Gullah/Geechee taste with the “Gullah/Geechee Angel Network” in Charleston, SC. Stop by a Gullah/Geechee owned and operated restaurant or food truck for lunch and/or dinner. You definitely do not want to miss the pre-Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week private dinner with a Gullah/Geechee chef. So, make sure to purchase a ticket for the Bluffton Gullah Heritage Center‘s “Gullah Tastemakers Series” which will take place in Bluffton, SC on July 24th at 5 pm. Obtain tickets now at https://blufftongullah.org/.
Wednesday “We Wo’k” day. Book a Gullah Sweetgrass basket making session at “Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets” https://gullahsweetgrassbaskets.com/ and/or enjoy an cultural emersion session with Elder Carlie Towne in Charleston, SC. Email GullGeeCo@aol.com for booking information.
Friday, party with a purpose at the “Gullah/Geechee Jacksonville Jam!” This will be the official book release party for Queen Quet‘s “Gullah/Geechee Blessin pun de Sea” featuring R & B artists, Marcus Allen. The event will be held at the Black owned, “Kravegan” where food is love!
After resting from this culminating party for “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week,” folks can proceed to the American Beach Museum on Amelia Island, Penn Center, the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, the Harriet Tubman Monument, and the Gullah/Geechee Visitors Center in Beaufort County, SC, the International African American Museum in Charleston or the Gullah Museum on Hilton Head or in Georgetown, SC to engage in learning more about not only Gullah/Geechee history but how our unique culture is an intricate part of American history. Make sure to spend money on native Gullah/Geechee owned products online throughout the week if you cannot make it to one of these events in person.
Hunnuh chillun, don miss de launch of “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week 2024” ya! Gear up and represent hunnuh Gullah/Geechee culcha and jayn we Satdee, July 27th at Noon een SC!
E gwine be a Gullah/Geechee good time!