2011 Gullah Heritage Celebration

Photo by Diedre Laird

Vera Manigualt sews sweetgrass baskets.

News Release Date: January 5, 2011

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 pm during February and March, 2011.

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 5
Carolyn “Jabulile” White, Sea Island storyteller
Vera Manigault, sweetgrass baskets

• Feb 12
Anita Singleton-Prather, “Aunt Pearlie Sue” Gullah Tales
Vera Manigault, sweetgrass basket demonstration 

• Feb 19
Sharon & Frank Murray, rice production
Paul & Loretta Hromoga, indigo dyeing
Elijah Ford, sweetgrass basket demonstration

• Feb 26
Ann Caldwell & the Magnolia Singers, spirituals
Jeannette Lee, sweetgrass basket demonstration
Minerva T. King, story-teller

• Mar 5
Veronica Gerald & Jesse Gantt, Gullah cooking demonstration
Charlotte Jenkins, Gullah cookbook
Alada “Muima” Shinault-Small, African tales
NIA Productions, African drumming & dance           

• Mar 12
Vermelle & Andrew Rodrigues, quilting & toys
Vera Manigault, sweetgrass baskets
Julian B. Gooding, African tales & percussion
Charles C Williams, castnet making & woodwork

• Mar 19
CSO Spiritual Ensemble Chorale
Dorothy Montgomery, quilting
Elijah Ford, sweetgrass baskets

• Mar 26
Ann Caldwell & the Magnolia Singers, spirituals
William Rouse, sweetgrass basket demonstration

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, located at 1254 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, 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 843-881-5516.