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 (843) 881-5516.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
