Tag Archives: coastal communities
Build Back Better BIPOC Coastal Cultural Heritage Communities including the Gullah/Geechee Nation
I never thought that my house on St. Helena Island in South Carolina would host the United States Congress or the United Nations. However, due to the on-going global pandemic, I have been able sit in prestigious political places via my computer screen without traveling and contributing further carbon emissions. As I tune in, I am concerned about the omissions- the omissions of the cost of climate change impacts on cultural heritage communities like the Gullah/Geechee Nation on the southeastern coast.
Where You Gonna Run To? Cultural Heritage Continuation and the Intersectionality of Calamity
…those that truly see the world devastation attached to the spiritual degradation that has led people to being so self absorbed that they are more interested in their distractions than they are in focusing on ways to heal the planet, find ourselves almost unable to rise from our knees to work since we are consistently crying out to GOD to hold back the storms and heal the land. If the root cause of climate change is truly anthropocene and climate inaction has produced and will continue to produce more human health issues from heat induced sicknesses to pandemics and will continue to threaten our food security by bringing about ocean acidification, drought, and wildfires amongst a sundry lists of other issues, “Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?”
Public Hearings and Public Health in the Gullah/Geechee Nation
The Gullah/Geechee Nation is participating in National Public Health Week along with others throughout the United States April 2-8, 2018. “Changing Our Future Together” requires an understanding of the various ways that we can support improving public health. Each day of #NPHW has a different focus ranging from behavioral health and communicable diseases to injury and violence prevention and access to ensuring the right to health care and environmental health. The Gullah/Geechee Nation has placed emphasis on the latter of the categories for the week given that improving and maintaining environmental health especially of the waterways. Water quality, seafood safety and human health are the central focus of the work of the Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank. This is a priority because without a healthy Gullah/Geechee Nation environment, the citizens will not be healthy.
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Conferences 2018
These conferences are wonderful opportunities to engage in interactive activities and dialogues with people that live the Gullah/Geechee culture and learn first hand how they continue to keep their cultural heritage alive. You can also learn how you can be an active part of assisting in that process. The Gullah/Geechees encourage hunnuh fa jayn we fa yeddi who webe frum we!
Rest or Run? Discussing Rising Seas and Relocation with the Gullah/Geechee Nation
The word “retreat” immediately invokes images of relaxation for me and many in the Gullah/Geechee Nation since people come by the tens of thousands to our homeland for just that. The fact that they have has led to the displacement of our people for those that want this to be their final place of retreat and relaxation for numerous reason. However, in this discussion that I was now being engaged, this word meant the other meaning that is not a part of my standard vocabulary-to run!
Gullah/Geechee Po’ch Tak Bout Gullah/Geechee, De Sea & De Famlee
The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and the St. Helena Branch Library on historic St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation continue the “Gullah/Geechee Living Series” with an afternoon Gullah/Geechee healing circle which will be all about engagement and education centered on Gullah/Geechee interactions along the coastal waterways and human health.
Gullah/Geechee Leaders Train the US Environmental Protection Agency on Community Engagement
The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition (www.gullahgeechee.net) has worked with the United States Environmental Protection Agency for over 16 years. They have continued this partnership in order to gain more knowledge on how to protect and sustain the Sea Islands of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com), who is the …