The Gullah/Geechee Angel Network and the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition will present “Gittin Ready fa da Gullah/Geechee Family Reunion,” an interactive family collections digitization and protection workshop on Saturday, March 25, 2017. The event is free, but registration is limited and must be done in advance. SC Humanities supported this workshop with a Major Grant in September 2016.
“Gittin Ready fa da Gullah/Geechee Family Reunion” is intended to provide residents of the Lowcountry with a deeper appreciation for their history, story, and culture. The event will focus on Gullah/Geechee history and culture as a living culture, and attendees are invited to bring artifacts, documents, and other materials to be digitally archived.
The schedule of events includes:
- Registration and Opening Discussion of the Value of Cultural Heritage Resources by Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation
- Valuing and Creating Family Archives by St. Helena Branch Library Head Librarian Maria Benac
- Interactive Session on Scrapbooking versus Archiving led by Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition Archive Trainees
- Lunch with a Gullah/Geechee Documentary Showing
- Discussion on the challenges and opportunities faced by the living culture with Dr. Amir Jamal Toure of Savannah State University and Dr. Najmah Thomas of the University of South Carolina
- Let’s Get Ready for the Family Reunion” Interactive Digitization Session led by the Queen Quet
- Graduation
“Gittin Ready fa da Gullah/Geechee Family Reunion” will go from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 and will take place at the St. Helena Library (6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Rd, St Helena Island, SC 29920). Free registration is limited and must be done in advance. Email gullgeeco@aol.com to register.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 22-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.
Image: photo from the “Gullah/Geechee Reunion” at Sullivan’s Island, SC; De Gullah/Geechee Alkebulan Archive” taken by Kumar L. Goodwine-Kennedy
