2010 Gullah Heritage Series

Date: January 6, 2010
Contact: Carlin Timmons, [phone]

Celebrate Gullah Heritage!  The National Park Service, in partnership with the Town of Mount Pleasant, is sponsoring a series of free cultural programs at Charles Pinckney National Historic Site every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. during February and March, 2010.

Charles Pinckney, a principal author and signer of the United States Constitution, owned seven plantations.  Enslaved Africans and African-Americans on Lowcountry plantations developed a unique culture known collectively today as "Gullah."  Gullah people made significant contributions not only to the Lowcountry plantation system but also to American culture in general.  A remnant of his Lowcountry plantation, Snee Farm, is preserved today as Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.

These Gullah programs range from craft demonstrations such as quilting, cast-net making, indigo-dyeing and sweetgrass basket sewing to cooking, African drumming and story-telling, folk-tales, spirituals and other musical performances.

Feb 6
Carolyn "Jabulile" White, Sea Island storyteller
Vera Manigault, sweetgrass baskets

Feb 13
Anita Singleton-Prather, "Aunt Pearlie Sue" Gullah Tales
Vera Manigault, sweetgrass basket demonstration 

Feb 20
Sharon & Frank Murray, rice production
Paul & Loretta Hromoga, indigo dyeing
Elijah Ford, sweetgrass basket demonstration

Feb 27
Ann Caldwell & the Magnolia Singers, spirituals
Jeannette Lee, sweetgrass basket demonstration
Minerva T. King, story-teller
 
Mar 6
Veronica Gerald & Jesse Gant, Gullah cooking demonstration
Alada "Muima" Shinault-Small, African tales
NIA Productions, African drumming & dance            

Mar 13
The Brotherhood Singers, spirituals & gospel
Dorothy Montgomery, quilting
Elijah Ford, sweetgrass baskets

Mar 20
Vermelle & Andrew Rodrigues, quilting & toys
Vera Manigault, sweetgrass baskets
Julian B. Gooding, African tales & percussion             
Charles C. Williams, castnet making & woodwork

Mar 28
Ann Caldwell & the Magnolia Singers, spirituals
William Rouse, sweetgrass basket demonstration

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site is located at 1254 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant. The park is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Days.  For more information, call [phone].