De Conch
Gullah/Geechee July 2015
Happy Anniversary ! Queen Quet ! &! De Gullah/Geechee Nation!!
!
15 years ago the Gullah/Geechee people came together to confirm a one year long election of their first official head pun de bodee and spokesperson. On July 2, 2000 at Sullivan’s Island, SC they enstooled Queen Quet as a spiritual leader as part of confirming her election as Head of State and presenting the declaration of the Gullah/Geechee Nation to the world, Gwine on and gwine strong!! www.gullahgeecheenation.com
Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at Penn Center, Inc. Page 4
Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™ page 9
Heritage Days Celebration page 14
Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at Mosquito Beach page 6
!
Gullah/Geechee Nation Emerges from Tragedy into Celebration!
In the wake of the recent tragedy during which the Gullah/Geechee Nation lost nine of its citizens in what has been deemed the "Charleston Massacre," they continue to walk on with the pride and dignity of their ancestors as they come out of a period of mourning into a time of celebration. What would be an annual time to celebrate Gullah/Geechee traditions and culture is now also a time to celebrate the lives of the Emanuel 9. The Gullah/Geechee Nation will have a series of events that will take place during the month of July in order to honor the legacies of these nine souls and to bring the Gullah/Geechee family together on the coast from Jacksonville, NC to Jacksonville, FL.! ! July 2nd marks the 15th anniversary of the enstoolment of Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) as the elected leader and spokesperson for Gullah/Geechees. Queen Quet is also a founding member and secretary of the Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association (www.gullahgeecheefishing.net). The GGFA decided to postpone its 5th year anniversary celebration from May until July 11th in order to make it a celebration of the continued self-determination of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and to support Penn Center, Inc.! ! Penn Center, Inc. launched its "2nd Saturdays" at the beginning of the year. This allows people to visit the York W. Bailey Museum without paying admission. So, those that come out to the celebration will also have a chance to learn more of the history of this historic institution while celebrating the continuing Gullah/Geechee fishing traditions in the Gullah/Geechee Nation. The event which will be "Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day" will go on from Noon until 4 pm on Saturday, July 11, 2015 with music, crafts, a fish fry, and family fun at the Penn Center National Landmark Historic District.! ! On Monday, July 6, 2015 and Saturday, July 18th, the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition will host De Gullah Root Experience Tour for groups. This is an interactive Gullah/Geechee tour of St. Helena Island which is done in Gullah/Geechee and in English. The organization customizes tours for groups throughout the year. For more details go to www.gullahgeechee.net and www.gullahgeechee.us.! ! The journey to learn more about the Gullah/Geechee traditions, language, heritage, and culture does not begin or end with tours, but it does require true engagement with native Gullah/Geechees that live the traditions. Each year, the Gullah/Geechee Nation's leaders work with Gullah/Geechee businesses, historic sites, traditionalists, educators, and artists to put together a series of activities that allow those that want to connect to authentic living traditions of the people to be able to do so while also seeing various parts of the Gullah/Geechee Nation's coast. !
!
Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week which will be held July 25-August 2, 2015 will do this. Also, this year, each day of the week will be in honor of one of the Emanuel 9.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week will be launched at Mosquito Beach in Charleston County, SC on Saturday, July 25 at Noon with a number of crafts demonstrations, music, Gullah/Geechee cuisine and language, and tours of this historic Gullah/Geechee community. The celebration will continue with a celebration in Walterboro, SC on the evening of July 28th in celebration of the town's first proclamation of the week at which Queen Quet will conduct a special ceremony. On July 30th participants will journey to historic St. Helena Island at 6 pm for "Gullah/Geechee Night at MJs Soul Food" which will feature dancing and Gullah/Geechee crafts and cuisine. The entire week will culminate in the "Gullah/Geechee Reunion" at Geechee Kunda in Riceboro, GA as the Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™ (www.gullahgeechee.info) takes place there.!
!
As the motto of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition states: "Hunnuh mus tek cyare de root fa heal de tree." This month will truly be about healing the roots and the hearts of Gullah/Geechees and will cause them to emerge with drums playing, songs being sung, and shoutin gwine on! Cum fa jayn we!!
! For more information about the celebrations, email GullGeeCo@aol.com ! or call (843) 838-1171.! Webe Gullah/Geechee Anointed Peepol!!
! !
Lun mo bout who webe!
! ! !
www.gullahgeecheenation.com!
! Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association Celebrates 5 Years at Penn Center, Inc.! !
The Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association (www.gullahgeecheefishing.net) was founded in Beaufort County, SC on March 25, 2010 by Queen Quet, Ricky Wright, the late Herbert Simmons, Joseph Bradley, and Keith Ellis who are all natives of St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation. These founding members were quickly joined by Gullah/Geechee fishermen and women from other parts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida in the mission to !
!
1) To advocate for the rights of Gullah/Geechee and African American fishermen and fishery workers of the southeast !
! 2) To share traditional fishing methods with the next generation! !
3) To restore access to the areas and factories needed to sustain the seafood industry in the Gullah/Geechee Nation and southeastern United States!
!
The Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association members have actively worked with numerous national and international organizations during their five years in existence. Their work has been featured in profiles done by the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and CNN International to name a few. ! ! During even numbered years, the Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association members host, the "Gullah/Geechee Seafood Festival" on St. Helena or Hunting Islands. Annually, they have a community celebration to engage more Gullah/Geechee fishing families in their efforts and to celebrate with supporters of the association. This year, their celebration will be "Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at Penn Center, Inc." The event will take place at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District in conjunction with 2nd Saturdays at the York W. Bailey Museum on Saturday, July 11, 2015 from Noon to 4 pm. !
!
"Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day" will be an event for all ages which will include FREE tours of the museum, a Gullah/Geechee fish fry, music, and Gullah/Geechee crafts and family fun. The event is open to all! For more information, call (843) 838-1171 or email GullGeeCo@aol.com. !
!
De Gullah/Geechee say,! "De wata bring we and de wata gwine tek we bak fa tru! ! So, cum fa yeddi frum we bout de wata and we culcha tuh!"
Cum Jayn the Mosquito Beach Business Association
and De Gullah/Geechee Nation Famlee at
Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at Mosquito Beach Noon-6 pm Saturday, July 25, 2015
! Mosquito Beach Road Charleston, SC 29413 !
FREE admission. Come learn the history of this historic Gullah/Geechee community while enjoying music, Gullah/Geechee presentations, food, crafts, and family fun as we launch Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week 2015.
!
www.gullahgeecheenation.com (843) 838-1171•GullGeeCo@aol.com
GULLAH/GEECHEE GOLD SOULS CAMPAIGN
!
The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition is the premiere organization on the protection and continuation of the Gullah/Geechee history, heritage, and culture. The Gullah/ Geechee Sea Island Coalition: •
advocates for the protection of the human and land rights of Gullah/Geechee
•
promotes and participates in the continuation of Gullah/Geechee history, heritage, culture, and language.
•
!
•
!
works toward Sea Island land re-acquisition and maintenance. celebrates Gullah/Geechee culture through artistic and educational means electronically and via "grassroots scholarship."
The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition has successfully carried out this mission since 1996. During which time, they developed the ONLY archive in the world which is TOTALLY dedicated to Gullah/Geechee history, heritage, and culture. The Gullah/Geechee Alekbulan Archive is being upgraded in order to continue to provide access to artifacts, images, documents, books, films, and recordings to future generations of Gullah/Geechees and global researchers. The Coalition host hundreds of students and professional writers each year and it also supports native Gullah/ Geechee speakers and presenters traveling to other parts of the world to make sure that accurate presentations on our culture are done in a varied array of venues.
!
We are calling on all supporters of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition to become dues paying members and to contribute to the “Gullah/Geechee Gold Souls Campaign.” The funds will assist with the completion of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition Center and our land fund. Please use the form at the end of this ezine or go to http://fnd.us/c/07Wl6 in order to financially contribute to the fundraising efforts that are currently under way which will finalize the second phase of the building.
! The “wish list:” !
• 1 poster holder • 20 Mac Compatible 2T and higher External Drives • Acid free archival boxes of all sizes and types • Apple server
!
For details on how you can host a fundraising event, contribute in any or in all of these ways, please email GullGeeCo@aol.com. Disya bout geeing frum de soul fa mek sho de richness stay een wi black gold!
Hep Mo Angel fa Fly! Support De Gullah/Geechee Angel Network!
! The mission of the official 501(c)3, non-profit of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, the Gullah/Geechee Angel Network is To preserve, protect and promote the cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee People who have lived in the southeastern portion of the United States of America from North Carolina to Jacksonville Florida 30 miles inland (known as the "Low Country") for over 300 years. To connect all people, not just in the 50 states, but internationally throughout the Diaspora, Europe, Caribbean and Africa. Goals and Objectives are achieved by the implementation of the following seven (7) point program: The Performing Arts: Musical plays, dramatizations, poetry, storytelling, enactments and workshops Arts and Crafts: Workshops in the production and displaying of traditional Gullah/Geechee cultural items. Demonstrative workshops that encourage the development of functional skills and forms of expression to potentially showcase and stimulate direct participation in the growing ethnic tourism industry, festivals and cultural events. Educational: The establishment of Cultural Learning Centers designed to foster motivation, achievement and cultural enrichment. Historical/Research excursions from the tip of North Carolina (Cape Fear) to the outlining areas of Jacksonville, Florida. Scholarships and Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award programs and events recognizing those persons who have given selflessly of themselves, and have done considerable work for the benefits of their particular community as it relates to cultural preservation. Awarding Scholarships to youth who exhibit talent, and are oriented toward developing skills which foster Gullah/Geechee Culture. The Internet and The Media: Networking with organizations, institutions and groups which focus on Gullah/ Geechee Culture. Consistently present positive role models and activities to the low country in particular, and to in the Diaspora in general. Production, Preservation and Documentation: Production and archiving of Gullah/Geechee video and audio recordings, books, symbols and banners. Radio, television and computer production programming. Health and Nutrition Awareness: Forums and symposiums which explore lifestyles, food staples, food cultivation and preparation of Gullah/Geechee cuisine, as well as developing holistic programs to promote well being. Gret Camp Meetin Centa! The Gullah/Geechee International Camp Meeting Center & Yenna House will host a number of activities and people from around the world and educate people on the living traditions of that exist throughout the Gullah/ Geechee Nation. The next major fundraiser for the project will be the Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™ www.gullahgeechee.info. For more details on fundraisers, tours, assisting with the project, or contributing, call (843) 572-6788 or go to www.gullahgeecheeangelnetwork.com .
Gullah/Geechee Love at the 2015 Gullah Festival
Links to Gullah/Geechee Living Culture
1.
Gullah/Geechee Nation Headquarters www.officialgullahgeechee.info or www.gullahgeecheenation.com
2.
Gullah/Geechee Nation on Instagram http://instagram.com/gullahgeechee
3.
Gullah/Geechee Angel Network www.gullahgeecheeangelnetwork.com
4.
Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition www.gullahgeechee.net
5.
Gullah/Geechee TV™ (GGTV) www.youtube.om/AMPTurnItUp
6.
Gullah/Geechee Riddim Radio http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gullahgeechee
7.
Gullah/Geechee Fishing Association www.gullahgeecheefishingassociation.com
8.
Gullah/Geechee Nation Facebook Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/GullahGeechee-Nation/66574769035
9.
Gullah/Geechee Folks on Twitter www.twitter.com/gullahgeechee
10. Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee www.QueenQuet.com 11. Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™ www.gullahgeechee.info 12. Gullah/Geechee Doula Association http://www.gullahgeecheedoula.com/ 13. Gullah/Geechee Nation on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/gullahgeechee/
Salute to the Heritage Days Celebration Planning Committee and Kwame Sha of All Mobile Productions™ for an outstanding “All White Affair!”
!
Queen Quet & De Gullah Cunneckshun CDs are available on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon music & more around the world! Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) and her Gullah/Geechee histo-musical performance troupe, De Gullah Cunneckshun are not only making their way around the world in person, they are also doing this via digital downloads! CDs can be purchased at www.gullahgeechee.biz and the CDs are now available on numerous digital music sale sites around the world. Ef hunnuh wan yeddi, gwine ta disya pun CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/QueenQuetDeGullahCunneckshun
Disya da Gullah Roots Productions™
! Summerville, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation now holds a Guinness World Record for the largest sweet tea every made! Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation was one in the crowd for the massive celebration!
Gullah/Geechee Nation leaders, Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank Members and partners did numerous presentations during the ISSRM Conference in Charleston, SC.
!
! Queen Quet Completes the 15th Year Supporting the Colleton County Memorial Library Summer Reading Program Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) has worked with Librarian Shiela Martina for 15 years to encourage literacy in the Gullah/Geechee Nation. A full house greeted Queen Quet in Walterboro, SC again this year!
! ! !
Juneteenth at the Jepson Savannah, GA
Pan African Family Empowerment & Land Preservation Network Ribbon Cutting!
To learn more about their mission, go to:
http://panafricanfamilyempowermentnetwork.org/
Support the Save Gullah/Geechee Land Fund go to: http://www.gofundme.com/panafricanfamilyem
Famlee fa supportin ys ne ur Jo an ric Af de ta Tenki Tenki nce Tour and ! De Gullah Root Experie a Island Coalition!! De Gullah/Geechee Se
Join the GULLAH/GEECHEE SEA ISLAND COALITION www.gullahgeechee.net
! !
Mail this to !
! ! !
Name: ! _________________________!
I am enclosing my check for! _____ $45 for the year of membership! _____ $300-999 supporter (Pledge amount can be sent in monthly installments)! _____ $1200 for lifetime membership!
!
What island are you closely connected to? ________________________________!
! !
How?(Circle one) ! ! ! Family Business!
Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition! Post Office Box 1207! St. Helena Island SC 29920!
Address: !
_____ $___________ toward the Gullah/ Geechee Gold Souls Campaign! My check is written to the ! Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition. I know that I will receive a newsletter, event announcements, and will be a subscriber to the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Roots Listserve and will also receive discounts on Gullah/Geechee products. !
!! !
GULLAH/GEECHEE SEA ISLAND COALITION Post Office Box 1207 St. Helena Island SC 29920
© 2015 Gullah/Geechee Nation! © 2015 Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition
!
ALL rights for photographs and articles are reserved. ! Republishing should not be done without consent from the Gullah/Geechee Nation.
! ! ! !!
______________________________!
______________________________! Telephone:! ! !
___________________ ! (Day) !
_______________________________ ! ! (Eve or Cell)!
! ! ! !
E-mail address: ________________________________! Where did you receive this? ________________________________! What would you like to see done by this organization?