A Gullah Geechee native is fighting to keep her culture alive
“Let mornin star greet you on yo praying groun.”—Gullah Prayer
When Jackie Mikel (pronounced as “Michael”, a.k.a. Geechee Gal), stands in front of one of the slave houses at Boone Hall plantation, she must be standing where her great-great-grandmothers once stood. They must give Jackie enough strength, inspiration and conviction to tell a compelling story of the Gullah People. Like her great-great-grandmothers, who were brought from west Africa as slaves to the Gullah Geechee Corridor of North and South Carolina and Georgia.
The Gullah people have preserved their culture and dialect for a long time. Perhaps, because of their isolation from the rest of the US. Slavery did not disappear from that area much after the end of the Civil War.
She tells that many slaves on that plantation, as with others, had spent their entire lives on the plantation.
*Contributing Researcher Stan Best*
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The Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor extends along the coast of the southeastern United States through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida in recognition of the Gullah-Geechee people and culture.
Gullah-Geechee are direct descendants of West African slaves brought into the United States around the 1700s. They were forced to work in rice paddies, cotton fields and indigo plantations along the South Carolina-Georgia seaboard where the moist climate and fertile land were very similar to their African homelands. After the abolition of slavery, Gullah-Geechee people settled in remote villages around the coastal swath, where, thanks to their relative isolation, they formed strong communal ties and a unique culture that has endured for centuries
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A Gullah Geechee native is fighting to keep her culture alive
by Caitlyn PenterTuesday, September 25th 2018
Hilton Head Island, S.C. (WTGS FOX 28) — The Town of Hilton Head Island recently hired a consultant to help preserve the Gullah Geechee culture on the island.
The culture dates back centuries, and some of its descendants have remained in Hilton Head for generations.
"My great grandfather was so proud to be able to tell somebody that he purchased 15 acres of land on Gumtree Road at $1 an acre," said Louise Miller Cohen. She runs the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island out of her family's home.
She is a fifth generation descendant who has lived on Hilton Head Island almost her entire life.
"I'm gonna be 75 years old, so I've been here for a while," said Cohen.
Her great, great grandparents, along with other slaves, escaped to the island during the civil war.
"They were trying to get to Hilton Head Island so they could be free," said Cohen.
Her mission is to keep her culture alive.
"We have to hold on to the land that we have," said Cohen.
Her museum is run out of her uncle's home that she restored. It was built in 1930. She invites people inside to travel back in time to the days of her ancestors.
Cohen said her community is in danger.
"I just cannot believe what I'm seeing and what I'm hearing," said Cohen.
She is fighting for what she believes is rightfully hers.
"I cannot enjoy my community because you want to make it an express highway to get to what you call paradise. It's not right," said Cohen.
Visitors to the museum on Tuesday agreed. They said she tells a story they relate to.
"Her story goes back five generations. I have a similar story which goes back to my great grandmother who was also a freed slave," said William Thomas. Thomas was visiting from Atlanta.
As the town of Hilton Head tries to come up with solutions, Cohen said she has one request.
"My vision is that this community will be here," said Cohen.
In a press release, the town said preserving this community is one of their top priorities.
Source:https://fox28media.com/.../a-gullah-geechee-native-is...