Gullah Culture

Sweetgrass basket in progress. Image courtesy of SCPRT.

Learn about the rich Gullah culture that continues in Charleston and the Lowcountry.

• What is Gullah? 
• The Gullah: Rice, Slavery, and the Sierra Leone-American Connection
• Geechee and Gullah Culture
• The Gullah Traditions
• Gullah Arts & Culture
• Family Across the Sea

Music

Learn about slave songs and Gullah music with Aunt Pearlie-Sue! You can write a blues song, sing a worship song in the praise house, and find the hidden meaning in a work song.

• Explore Gullah Music Now!

Art

Sweetgrass baskets have been made in Charleston and along the coast for more than 300 years. Slaves from West Africa brought this art with them and have passed the tradition on from generation to generation.

• Gullah Baskets
• Sweetgrass Baskets 
• Fishnets

Language

• Gullah Tales
  Check out these folk tales in the Gullah language.
• Two Prayers in Gullah
  Read and listen to two prayers in Gullah!
• Spoken Gullah
  Learn about the Gullah language and hear an example of spoken Gullah.
• Gullah Dictionary
  This dictionary has lots of Gullah words and their definitions.
• The Gullah Language
  Learn a few words in Gullah.

Food Culture 

Hoppin' John is a traditional beans and rice dish eaten on New Year's Day.

Learn about the foods, techniques, and recipes that the Gullah people prepare, from rice dishes to Hoppin’ John and sweet potatoes.

• Gullah Food
• Recipes 
• African roots, Carolina gold