Gullah Culture Fascinates Tourists

Many of us may remember the popular children’s show Gullah, Gullah Island, that played on the kid’s channel Nickelodeon from 1994 – 1997, but very few know the true history of Gullah culture in South Carolina. This most fascinating culture has existed since the early 1880’s and is said to have preserved its African culture and language influences due to the remoteness of the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina. Tourists seeking a more authentic cultural experience are flocking to South Carolina for Gullah-specific tours and authentic Gullah cuisine!

Gullah is a Creole language, or a language developed from a blending of other languages by people unable to understand each other, remaining in long contact in a similar area. West-African slaves brought to the outer islands of South Carolina transformed their native Ewe, Mandinka, Igbo and Yoruba languages into a vocabulary all of its own. The pronunciation and grammar of Gullah language is said to have come from these West African languages while the vocabulary is of English origin. Gullah was transformed into a language all of its own with the first generation born in the U.S. The Gullah culture has survived over the years by Gullah elders passing down the language and traditions to their children.

Gullah Festivals, honoring the food, arts, crafts, language and overall history of the culture are held in various parts of coastal South Carolina throughout the year. Several luxury resort areas, including ritzy Hilton Head, are located in the region referred to as the Gullah Islands. Hilton Head has hosted the Annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration for the past 12 years over four consecutive weekends during February which is Black History Month.

The Penn Center, a National Historic Landmark located an hour south of Charleston, S.C. on St. Helena Island hosts a museum in honor of Gullah culture at the site of one of the first schools in the nation created specifically for African-American youth founded in 1862. Originally run by Quakers or members of the Religious Society of Friends, the religious group who founded the Underground Railroad and were first to oppose slavery in the 1700’s, Penn Center’s mission is preserving Gullah culture for all to enjoy.

Gullah is a culture that must be learned about through experiencing it. Gullah food, Gullah language and Gullah culture are about more than simple sightseeing and those so-called historical tours offered throughout the Southeast. Gullah is a feeling and a taste of the real history and the beauty of the people responsible for true Southern culture and cuisine. Check out museums like the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture and the College of Charleston as well as visiting authentic Gullah communities in Wadmalaw and St. Helena Islands.