5 things you may not have known about the Gullah Geechee community in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia

By Mark A. Leon

Here are 5 things you may not have known about the Gullah Geechee community in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia:

1. The Gullah language is a creole language combining English with various West African languages. It has unique grammar, intonation, and vocabulary influenced by the enslaved Africans’ mother tongues.

2. Gullah cuisine evolved from enslaved African women blending ingredients and techniques from their homelands with local foods like rice, seafood, and vegetables. Iconic dishes like gumbo, shrimp and grits, and red rice originated from their ingenuity.

3. Sweetgrass basket weaving is an important Gullah craft with roots in African basket-making traditions. The intricate sewn patterns and utilitarian baskets were passed down through generations. Please follow Charleston’s Corey Alston, whose exquisite basket weaving skills date back generations.

4. The bright “haint blue” color seen on porch ceilings is a Gullah tradition believed to ward off evil spirits. This practice originated in West African spiritual beliefs.

5. Isolated on the Sea Islands for generations allowed the Gullah Geechee people to retain more African cultural influences compared to other African American communities. Their language, foodways, crafts, and folk traditions have strong African retentions.

Related:

• Lowcountry Gullah-Geechee Culture · Hidden Voices: Enslaved … 
• Best Ways to Experience the Lowcountry’s Gullah Geechee Culture 
• Lowcountry Gullah – Preserving the Culture. Protecting the Land
• Gullah culture in the Lowcountry 
• Gullah History | Beaufort Historic Culture