There is something both familiar and exotic about the Lowcountry.
For those looking to unlock its mysteries, understanding the Gullah culture in South Carolina may just be the key.
The late 1600s
In the late 1600s, rice was desired all over the world. Enslaved Africans from West Africa’s “Rice Coast” were brought to the Lowcountry to work in the rice and cotton fields. The landscape was hot, remote and teeming with mosquitos. Physically and culturally isolated, the workers were left to live, worship, speak and cook as they wished. As a result, they became known as the Gullah. They created their own cuisine and language, holding tight to treasured West African skills and traditions.
Gullah cuisine
Gullah cuisine grew out of the resourcefulness of enslaved African women. They applied European and African cooking methods and flavors to locally available foods. These would include fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs and foods native to the Americas. As well as, tomatoes, corn and squash. But, peanuts, watermelon, yams, okra and collard greens were imports from Africa.
Quintessential Gullah dishes include fried fish, stewed shrimp and hoppin’ john. In fact, many classic “Southern” dishes came straight from Gullah kitchens.
Language
The Gullah language is an English-based hybrid and includes nearly 4,000 African words. Gullah is still in use today, especially in storytelling. Gullah stories are proudly passed from one generation to the next through stories, chants and song.
Culture
Also, the Gullah culture includes crafting beautiful coiled baskets handwoven from sweetgrass and palmetto fronds. Other Gullah traditions include the making of cast nets and the singing of lively spirituals, music that influenced American jazz, blues and gospel traditions.
Today, America’s Gullah population is approximately 300,000. However, because up to 70 percent of enslaved Africans landed in the Lowcountry, many more African Americans have Gullah roots.
The history of the Gullah people is one of adaptation, survival and community. For this reason, the story of the Lowcountry is incomplete without the Gullah experience.
Did You Know?
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “I Have a Dream” speech among the Gullah on St. Helena Island, SC.
- The 1991 film Daughters of the Dust, about three generations of Gullah women. First feature directed by an African-American woman to have a general U.S. theatrical release.
- Hilton Head Island’s Gullah community in Mitchelville passed the country’s first law requiring universal schooling.
- Pat Conroy’s novel, The Water is Wide, fictionalized the Gullah community on Daufuskie Island, SC.
For information on the Annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration, go to gullahcelebration.com.