Black History Month is upon us, and I have the pleasure of adding new items into the BDC lobby display case. This month entails all the culture, religion, and practices of the African American people in the U.S. Here at the BDC we strive to capture the stories of African American history and what makes them unique in our area. Everything found in the display case this month focuses on the Gullah community, which is only found in the southeastern United States, ranging from North Carolina down to Florida. The Gullah community contains unique religious practices, music, food, and language not found anywhere else in the world.
Gullah Culture in America by Wilbur Cross (2007, 2008, 2012, 2023) is a book about the Gullah community across the U.S. since its discovery in the mid-1800s. The Gullah community was largely unheard of up until the mid-1800s, when, during the 1860s, a group of missionaries travelled down south to instruct freedmen how to read and write when they noticed that the freedmen spoke partial English combined with idioms, expressions, and such. What I find interesting about this book is how incredibly deep their stories are. The Gullah have their own language, songs, food, religion, and how they represent themselves in the community, all of which stems from their African roots. It is a world I previously never thought of but am now deeply entrenched in learning about.
Africanisms in American Culture edited by Joseph E. Holloway (1990) discusses African-based historical, linguistic, religious, and artistic perspectives that have been absorbed into American traditions. Together the chapter authors provide cultural context for African Americans, helping identify where certain religious, artistic, and linguistic practices are derived from and how the African American people use this to define themselves today. I chose this because it is interesting to discover where a certain ritual or practice was derived from, and how similar it is to the rituals and practices in Africa. This book can also serve as a starting point for those trying to trace down their roots because so many rituals and practices were specific to a certain group of people in Africa.
Shout Because You’re Free: The African American Ring Shout Tradition in Coastal Georgia by Art Rosenbaum, Margo Newmark Rosenbaum, and Johann S. Buis (1998) is about the African American Ring Shouting tradition. “Ring Shout” is a form of praise and worship for African Americans that involves a sort of call-and-respond form of singing, with a stick to beat on the floor for a beat, along with handclapping and foot-tapping. It was thought to have completely died out by the 1980s, but a small group was found that still actively performed this kind of practice. I chose this book because it discusses an unique style of singing that enslaved people created with what they have. How this form of praise and worship continues even today is a testament to the perseverance, passion, and soul that the African American community exemplifies.
Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands by Lydia Parrish (1992, 1942) is a book about Lydia Parrish travelling far and wide to locate and document the different songs and style of songs that African Americans created and sang during the antebellum period. Parrish creates a delicate and intricate layer between their songs and their way of life, social customs, language, and culture. Parrish garnered the respect and trust of many African American song writers and was able to record their songs in detail, adding depth and providing context to discover the meaning behind them. I chose this book because of its intricate description of songs from the antebellum period and how she explains why, and how, they stood the test of time.
Gullah: Songs of Hope, Faith and Freedom [Audio CD] (1997) by Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers provides a gateway to a culture that is largely unknown by many people in the U.S. According to the summary about this item in the SCLENDS catalog: "Gullah is a people. Gullah is a language. Gullah is music like you've never heard before! Marlena Smalls joins with The Hallelujah Singers to present glorious music from the rich culture of West Africa's children who have inhabited the coastal islands of the southeastern U.S. for hundreds of years. Marlena Smalls, perhaps best known for her role as "Bubba's Mama" in the movie Forrest Gump, and the energetic Hallelujah Singers have appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and in concert at the Kennedy Center taking the charm and richness of their unique culture to a worldwide audience."
Ain’t You Got a Right to the Tree of Life by Guy Carawan (1989) is a collection of oral histories about Sea Island life that goes as far back as to the start of the 20th century. It contains the thoughts, emotions, feelings, and overall life of the people of John’s Island as they experienced discrimination and the start of the civil rights movement. I like that the people conveyed their thoughts and emotions themselves. Each entry is a raw look at the day-to-day life of an African American during the 20th century that provides insight and context to who they were then and what shaped them to who they are today.
Songs uv dee Gullah Pee’puls by the Gullah Kinfolk (2000) is an audio CD that highlights the songs that the Gullah sings. It contains authentic Gullah people who can speak in Gullah and sing their songs the way they were supposed to be sung. I chose this because one can hear how the songs sound and feel their soul. It helped me realize the significant role that these spirituals played during the antebellum period and during the Civil Rights movement. In my opinion, these songs are what define the Gullah and make them an unique culture. The BDC is the only library in the SCLENDS consortium to have this title.
Gullah Spirituals: The Sound of Freedom and Protest in the South Carolina Sea Islands by Eric Sean Crawford (2021) traces the roots of the Gullah Geechee songs to their beginnings in Africa all the way to their peak in the 20th century as songs that personified the need for social change and the need for equality. Crawford primarily focuses on the “spirituals” of the Gullah community on St. Helena Island. Spirituals were sung by a group of people during times of unrest and weariness. These spirituals helped rally the African American community to action. Some served as lullabies, in that some songs could ease tensions, soothe the soul, and create a dynamic that helped pull them out of tough times. I chose this book as a prime example of how a small community can rise above and beyond what society expects of them and make a change for the better.
Jazz and Blues Musicians of South Carolina by Benjamin Franklin, V (2008) shows how South Carolina played a pivotal role in defining this style of music. It features multiple musicians who played a pivotal role for this genre of music. I chose this because the diversity of the Jazz and Blues style and how people from all walks of life were able to join and play together without thinking about social prejudices. I also happen to love Jazz and Blues music. It is such a classic and melodic style of music.
Something to Shout About: Reflections on the Gullah Spiritual by Sally Plair (1972) is a book about the style of praise and worship in Gullah culture known as “shouting.” Shouting was a communal act within Gullah culture that kept spirits high. The book goes on to reflect on how the Gullah Spirituals allowed them to sing about their grievances, trials, happiness, joy, and their loss. I chose this because this book describes how the Gullah created a culture to sing away their pain and embrace joy and peace of mind.
If you interested in borrowing materials about Gullah culture, check out the items on this flyer:
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