Roots and Homelands of the Gullah Geechee Nation:

The Gullah people are an African American population of African ancestry found in the Sea Islands and lowcountry region of South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida. In Georgia, they are commonly referred to as Geechee, often you will hear reference to "The Gullah Geechee Nation".

The origin of the name Gullah may be from Angola, a country in southwestern Africa where many of the Gullah's ancestors came from. However, some believe it comes from Gola, a tribe living on the border area between Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa.

Africans brought in large numbers from the "Rice Coast" region of West Africa to be slaves in the US, brought the skills that made rice one of the most successful industries in early America. Cotton also figured heavily in the growth and maintenance of the slave trade that brought Africans to the US. Among others, Penn Center on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, is a modern institution engaged in research and preservation of Gullah culture, it began as on of the first mission schools for Black Americans in the South following the Civil War.

White planters fled the low country during the rainy malarial seasons in the South, leaving African "drivers" in charge. During the 1700s South Carolina and Georgia became Black-majority states as Africans were enslaved and imported to grow cash crops and manage households. The social isolation/autonomy of the Gullahs helped them preserve their African language, culture, and community life.

Since the 1960s resort development on the Sea Islands has threatened the Gullah way of life. The Original Gullah Festival held in Beaufort, SC is a celebration and teaching event for Gullah people and interested persons. Connecting with African relatives and preserving Gullah Culture has been the subject of several films and documentaries, including: "Family Across the Sea,"Daughters of the Dust","The Language You Cry In," and "The Will to Survive,".Marquetta Goodwine, also known as "Queen Quet", is a well known artivist and advocate for the Gullah people of South Carolina.