gullah tours of charleston

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Gullah Gullah Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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VOTED THE #1 GULLAH TOUR IN CHARLESTON!

The Hidden Culture of the Gullah People 

Come See & Feel the Gullah people:

An amazingly colorful history with so much beauty but most importantly:

It's a history this world has Never Ever Heard before now. The Gullah are a very spiritual people. A special group of Black African Americans descending from before the Atlantic Slave Trade still living here in the Sea Islands of Charleston, SC today.

How DEEP do you REALLY want to go?

*WARNING* 

All we offer is the Truth

True Historical & Biblical Secrets of this great and "Holy City" of Charleston, SC. What does Gullah mean? The “TRUE” meaning of GULLAH is revealed on this tour. No other tour company talks about slavery nor do they talk about the Black African American Experience “like we do.” We teach on the true culture of an ancient people that is hiding right in the front of your eyes. The history everyone wants to know about but nobody wants to talk about. Charleston is the BEGINNING of the African American EXPERIENCE & history. The term "African American" is the newest of the many different “NICKNAMES” given to this peculiar nation of black people brought from Africa to America by way of “Slave Ships”. This history has never been told before now, as the Gullah people say: "Look Yah, Do yu hav da Ears ta Hear or da Eyes ta See?" 

King Charles and his lord proprietors knew all about "The secrets of the Gullah" just as the queen of England knows it today. The Revolution and the Confederacy still keep this part of history hidden; this truth is still kept silent yet the City speaks volumes through its Symbolisms. It is of the highest in the Templar and Masonic Orders of Secrecy. Charleston holds many secrets. Secret societies, secret alleyways and most importantly Charleston is the World's Top Destination because of it’s Secret History. 

Tour Guide: Godfrey Jacob Jefferson Khill is the only Charleston Native Gullah Geechee Licensed Certified tour operator in the WORLD. Raised in the Gullah culture, knowing their ancient secrets and customs, Godfrey keeps the true history of the Gullah culture alive.

Prepare to have your minds blown! This tour will change your historical perspective forever! History you thought you knew challenged, and history you may have not known revealed! At first it may be hard to see but once you see, you will NEVER NOT SEE.

We operate out of a Black Mercedes Benz 2500 Sprinter for the ultimate experience in the finest of comfort. No other tour company offers audio & visuals on a large flat screen TV to give you an up close and personal experience as we journey through the history of the mysterious Gullah Geechee.   

SITES TO SEE The Holy Bible Slave Auction Blocks Rare and Original Moses Bulrush Basket The Gullah’s famous Sweetgrass Roses & Customs  The Aiken Rhett museum house with large slave quarters intact Philip Simmons famous gates  The Garden of Eden Long staple cotton Carolina Gold Rice & Rice Mill The actual GATEWAY into the Holy City Old Exchange Building & Provost Dungeon Nations largest Auction Block of the 1700's Slave Barr-a-Coons  The Largest Slave Auction Block & Market in the Nation of the 1800’s Slave Hanging tree, Denmark Vessey & Gullah Jack Mother Emanuel Church (Charleston 9 shooting)

Charleston has many happy and fluffy tours giving an amazing perspective of the city's history. This tour is NOT that.

*No Refunds*

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Gullah geechee culture tours.

Charleston's #1 Gullah Geechee, Black History, Sea Island and Porgy & Bess Combination City & Island Tour

Explore Charleston's Black History & Gullah Geechee Culture

Explore Charleston’s ubiquitous African American History & Gullah Geechee Culture with Sites and Insights Tours, Inc., departing daily from the Charleston Visitor Center. Let’s travel through the streets of downtown Charleston, or venture off the Charleston peninsula to visit two of our nearby Sea Islands – James & Johns – or perhaps you’d enjoy the unique blend of taking in both downtown & the two Sea Islands. Whichever  tour  you select, you’ll see, hear & experience an inclusive look at one of America’s premier destinations with emphasis on area African American history & culture. Private tours, group tours and lectures are also available.

Tours Depart From Visitors Center located at 375 Meeting St, Charleston, SC Explore Our 5 Tour Options:

1 Hr. Charleston Black History, Gullah Geechee & Porgy & Bess Tour

Take to the streets of downtown Charleston with veteran certified tour guide, author, realtor, & lecturer, Al Miller aboard a plush, 25 passenger, air conditioned tour bus . This tour covers Black and Gullah historic sites and insights in downtown Charleston. See Sites and gain Insight on: Mother Emanuel AME Church, Denmark Vesey Slave Insurrection Plot, The East Side, Aiken-Rhett House, Gullah Geechee Culture, Free Blacks, Catfish Row, Porgy & Bess, Civil War, Slave Auction Sites, Philip Simmons Ironwork, The Battery, Old City Jail, Avery School and more. This tour stops at Mother Emanuel Church, Philip Simmons Statue, The Battery.

PLEASE CALL THE RESERVATION LINE at (843) 552-9995 FOR DAILY TOUR SCHEDULE OR CALL AL MILLER DIRECTLY AT (843) 696-8933

Adults: $20, Children: $15 (Ages 6-12)

2 Hr. Charleston Black History, Gullah Geechee & Porgy & Bess Tour

Take to the streets of downtown Charleston with veteran certified tour guide, author, realtor, & lecturer, Al Miller aboard a plush, 25 passenger, air conditioned tour bus . This tour covers most of downtown Charleston's Historic District (more than what is offered by most other tour companies). This tour includes all sites and insights from the 1-Hour tour plus: Site of the Hanging Tree, The West Side, Burke High School, Hampton Park, Wagener Terrace Neighborhood, Lowndes Grove Plantation House and much more.

Adult: $25, Children: $20 (Ages 6-12)

2.5 Hr. Charleston Black History, Gullah Geechee and Porgy & Bess , Sea Island Tour (City/ Island Tour)

Explore Gullah Geechee and Black History found in the city of Charleston and neighboring sea islands with veteran certified tour guide, author, realtor, & lecturer, Al Miller aboard a plush, 25 passenger,  air conditioned tour bus . This combination City/Island Tour offers a dual experience: a condensed tour of Charleston and James and Johns Islands, covering over 38 miles roundtrip.

This tour covers most of the City of Charleston and Island Sites listed except Wagener Terrace Neighborhood, Hampton Park, Lowndes Grove Plantation House and Seashore Farmers' Lodge.

Adults: $40, Children: $25 (Ages 6-12)

2 Hr. Sea Island Tour (James & Johns Island)

Explore the rich Gullah Geechee culture found on the sea islands with veteran certified tour guide, author, realtor, & lecturer, Al Miller aboard a plush, 25 passenger,  air conditioned tour bus . This tour covers approximately 38 miles round trip departing Visitor Center. See and hear about James and Johns Island History, Gullah Geechee Culture, Gullah Geechee communities, McLeod Plantation, Massachusetts 54th Regiment, Stono River Slave Rebellion, Seashore Farmers' Lodge, Porgy's Memorial at Burn Churchyard Cemetery (James Island Presbyterian Church), Angel Oak Tree and more.

Stops are made at Angel Oak Tree, Johns Island; James Island Presbyterian Church and Seashore Farmers' Lodge in Sol Legare, James Island, and much more.

2 Hr. Charleston Amen Church Tour

Take to the streets of downtown Charleston with veteran certified tour guide, author, realtor, & lecturer, Al Miller aboard a plush, 25 passenger,  air conditioned tour bus . See and Hear: Explore history & stories of Charleston's Black & White Houses of Worship from slavery to the present which declared Charleston as The Holy City. Your guide will entertain you with Hymns, Spirituals and Gospel. After this experience, who knows, you might say, "Amen!" Tour stops at some sites.

Adults: $25, Children: $20 (Ages 6-12)

Charleston's #1 Black History, Gullah Geechee, & Sea Island Tour

"I found Al's tour to be the most entertaining and informative tour I have ever taken. It was great to see the standard tourists spots like The Battery District and others, but I was most impressed in visiting areas of historical significance to the black community. Kudos to Al and his tour service!" Gastonia, NC

"I have taken Al's tour three times and it is hands down my favorite tour in Charleston. He not only provides you with a wealth of knowledge on so many of the hidden gems when it comes to Charleston's Black history...but provides you with an incredible inclusive history of Charleston and the sea Islands which you truly can not get anywhere else. I also love the fact that he offers a variety of tour options and is flexible. I highly recommend all of his tours but the City/Island tour is my absolute favorite. You will not be disappointed with your experience. Al is simply the best! " Atlanta, GA

"The tour was not only enlightening but entertaining as well. A performance was put on for our benefit while telling the history of Porgy and Bess." Nettles, NY

"Slave stories are told plainly on Charleston plantation tours. Al Miller doesn't shy away from exploding conventional Charleston historic wisdom if it leads to truths." The Charlotte Observer

"We enjoyed the tour and will recommend it to any of our friends." Chester, CT

PURCHASE A BOOK FROM BY AL MILLER

Sites and Insights Tours owner Al Miller shares over 34 years worth of thoughtful, zany, clever & mouth-dropping remarks that visitors have made while touring Charleston.

In his first book entitled, Tourists Can Say the Darndest Things! : Exploring Historic Charleston, South Carolina, veteran licensed tour guide Al Miller escorts you through sections of the Charleston peninsula such as the Eastside, The Battery, and the French Quarter; he introduces you to the area’s vibrant Gullah Geechee culture; and he shares reflections on his personal loss resulting from the 2015 tragedy at Mother Emanuel AME Church.

Humorous comments & candid observations made over the years by Miller’s sightseeing guests along with vintage & modern photos, historical documents, discussions of historical figures, events & landmark sites create a very unique view of a very fascinating city.

Future editions will cover other areas in and near Charleston spiked with more of those darndest things that tourists can say!

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Gullah Tours

Review Highlights

“ The tour is run by Alphonso Brown , who is not only knowledgeable but HILARIOUS. ” in 6 reviews

“ The true history and meaning of slavery is the Gullah culture , a relic that still exists in the city. ” in 8 reviews

“ We learned so much about Charleston, Gullah (language) and even Historical details about past ( slavery to civil war), how it influences the present and whats coming in the future. ” in 2 reviews

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9 Trachelle Ln

Charleston, SC 29407

West Ashley

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Alphonso B.

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Gullah Tours explores the language, history, culture and traditions of the Of Afro Americans from slavery up to present time. …

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The Gullah Tour in Charleston was a delightful experience. Two hours on an air-conditioned bus with the most charming, humorous, and friendly guide imaginable. There was so much information he provided about Charleston that we were on information overload. We love to take "overview" tours of cities we visit, and this was one of the very best. Not only do you learn a little Gullah, but you learn facts about Charleston that some other tours and all the guide books leave out - and you learn it from someone who has his roots here and speaks the language (Gullah) fluently. If you only have time for one tour, this is definitely the one you want to take.

If you take only one city tour of Charleston, this should be it. Alphonso is extremely engaging, funny and knowledgeable. The tour is comprehensive-- you'll see all of the "typical" sights, in addition to a great many overlooked by traditional tours. Historical trivia and stories comprised much of the two hour tour, and Alphonso did an excellent job of weaving in information about Charleston's gullah culture as it exists today. I was never bored, and felt like the $18 admission was a bargain. Make sure to make reservations well in advance using the form on the Gullah Tours website. I reserved our spots about two weeks prior, and had to take my third choice date and time because the first two were already booked.

Mr Alfonso Brown brings the history of Black Charleston alive and I'm grateful that we were able to get on his tour. I know that some people complain that this tour is entirely on a bus, but just bring a notepad and write down where you want to return to. Also, if you are looking for a nice gift for a lady-friend, Mr Brown stops at the Phillip Simmons house where there is great jewelry that can only be found in Charleston. It's also very reasonable priced.

This tour was great! Mr. Brown gave a fun and thorough tour of Charleston. He had lots of great stories to share, and it was interesting to hear from an African American perspective. He took us to Philip Simmons' home, a famous iron gate-maker. That was a bit strange and I felt like we were intruding. I don't know how his "workshop" still exists, as I'm sure it violates hundred of codes. One of the highlights of our Charleston trip! Throw a kiss to mama!

Hello Friends!! This is one of the tours i speak of highly. The tour guid is very informative, Happy, ready to shed some light on the haps of the city. When on tour he asked where I was from (as in what city), I told him Charlotte, NC. Welp, as i found out.. its a very small world. His brother moved from Charleston to Charlotte. Only to open up a Gullah resturant named "The Charleston House" (located on the Plaza). This tour is an On & Off tour, so you get a chance to do some walking site seeing. On the day that I went which is a few years ago, we went to a National Folk Treasurer (Philip Simmons). I got to take pictures with him, that made my day considering my love of photo's. Now years later i can say, "I was in the same air as one of the greatest). Thats cool! I plan to return and refill my passion bucket with all the new and old things to do.

This was the best tour I experienced in the city (by far). For reference, I also checked out the Jailhouse Ghost Tour (yawn, NOT worth the $), Schooner Tour on the Pride (lovely, but too crowded!), Red Barn Carriage Tour (ok, a bit too much architecture), & Exchange Dungeon Tour (I happen to like dungeons, so I enjoyed this $8 tour.) If you're looking to take one that includes both local flavor and information about many aspects of the city, do the Gullah Tour. It's half the price and twice as long as the others. The tour guide was engaging, animated, and quite funny. He delivers the tour of Charleston with a storyteller's flair, using the wrought iron works all over the city as a frame. It's aesthetically effective, and personally engaging, as our tour guide Alphonso was personally acquainted with the artist & national treasure (Philip Simmons--if you don't already know). Ferried along on an air-conditioned bus, you experience the city through the eyes of a native, and learn a bit of the Gullah dialect along the way. The rhythms of Alphonso Brown's speech are easy to listen to, and coax you right on into whatever story he's telling. He pulls over a few times to engaged in slightly longer tales, and stopped once for us to get off and check out Simmons' workshop. As an artist, I was intrigued by this particular moment in the tour, and found it to be both a mess and also decked out in the style of true artisans the world over (show me a tidy studio, and I'll show you an artist who's just put away their cleaning supplies...). Metalwork is a messy business (not sure what was up with the previous yelp reviewer griping about the studio) and it was a treat to step inside the creative space of a man who was dedicated to his craft. My favorite bit, after the humor and rhythm of our guide's tales, was the lesson in Gullah dialect we were so lucky to share in. Alphonso was kind enough to lead us through a few examples of the creole language, which I appreciated historically and linguistically (I'm an English grad student... what can I say). The peppering of Gullah words and phrases, delivered with verve, infused the experience with both humor and confusion, though he was patient in explaining more obscure phrases. The entire bus fell into genuine laughter many times--such is the skill of the guide. You'll learn quite a few things about the city and people, such as where the bodies are buried (literally), and engage in open discussion of the history of the Gullah people within the city of Charleston, enslavement through freedom and relationships up through the modern era. The only aspect of the tour that wasn't so awesome was after we'd disembarked at the visitor center--the guide was disinterested in further engagement/questions, and went a bit standoffish. Maybe he didn't like me taking notes through the tour--not sure. All the same, it was a lovely close to my time in Charleston. Reservations are required, so don't mess around if you're just visiting the city. These tours fill up fast on the weekends.

Loved it. Alphonso brown gave gullah lesson and is hilarious. Not enough about the gullah culture but a great charleston tour very knowledgeable and entertaining. Should stop more for pictures and questions . Raise price to $25 and add an hour. I bought his book for my daughter. Plan to do it again!

This was a really great tour but the name is deceptive. I thought there would be more about the Gullah culture in and around Charleston. It was essentially a Charleston history tour hosted by a man who spoke Gullah. Definitely recommended. The tour was overbooked so my friend had to sit in a seat in the aisle but was not charged full ticket price. The Cut Rate Drug Store (Hexis, Fixes, and Roots) mentioned in the description has, apparently, closed. Perhaps when that store was still open he talked more about rootwork.

This is not a knock on the tour guide, Mr. Brown. He was extremely engaging and funny and sweet! This tour is just not what we expected it to be based on the website. You sit in a van for 2+ hours (I'm guessing, we were actually so bored/unhappy with the tour that we hopped off after 45 min - which we felt SOOO terrible about but had too much we wanted to do) and basically pull over every few minutes while he tells you a story about the gate you're looking at or a wall...I thought this would be more about the Gullah culture, history, etc. but instead it was just a regular tour of Charleston as told from a Gullah man's eyes. We had already done a carriage tour and so this felt redundant. We had a very limited time in Charleston and were happy with our decision to leave after 45 minutes.

Loved the Gullah Tour!!! The tour is run by Alphonso Brown, who is not only knowledgeable but HILARIOUS. I was a bit confused because I had initially thought the tour was about Gullah culture and history, and it is, but I would say it's more of a tour of Charleston through a Gullah perspective, like if some guy you knew who was Gullah was showing you around Charleston and cracking jokes and telling stories and talking about what people used to say about this and that. Which was pretty cool. I don't usually go on guided tours because I find them too watered down and touristy, but this one I'm definitely glad I made the exception for.

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Walking tour through The Battery

The Battery is Charleston’s most beautiful historical city in the world. We walk and talk about this beautiful hidden history that began right where the cannons & cannon balls still stand today. These were the very first shots fired that sparked the beginning of that world famous Civil War. The movie Glory where the 54th Massachusetts regiment did the impossible feat of saving Fort Sumter which we can see from here.

On this tour we will see: Hanging trees Slave auction blocks Largest slave highway in the world Largest slave cemetery in the world Pineapple water fountain Barracoons Churches Underground dungeons & tunnels Statue of Lucifer/Lucy Key locations where spirits, ghosts & demons dwell

The Meeting location for this tour is the Charleston Battery in front of the confederate statue. The tour will end at the pineapple fountain on Waterfront park

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Learn an often overlooked aspect of Charleston’s history and culture of the Gullah people on this driving night tour through the city!

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• 843-763-7551
• Schedule A Tour
• Gullah Language
• Gullah Words
• Hear and Read Gullah
• Did you know that…
• Catfish Row
• Black Slave Owners
• Denmark Vesey’s
• Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
• Hexes, Fixes, Roots
• Jones Hotel
• Old Slave Mart
• Philip Simmons Blacksmith
• Slave Quarters
• Sweetgrass Market
• The Patty Wagan
• The Underground Railroad
• The Whipping House
• Reservations

About Alphonso Brown

• Gullah Bookstore

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Alphonso Brown was born and reared in Rantowles, South Carolina, a rural area about 12 miles South of Charleston.  He graduated from Baptist Hill High School. He received a BS Degree from S. C. State University in Music and a Masters Degree from Southern Illinois University. Other Graduate studies in music were done at The University of SC, Charleston University, and The Citadel.

Mr. Brown is a licensed tour guide for the City of Charleston and own and operates Gullah Tours. He is the author of one of The History Press best seller, A Gullah to Guide Charleston. He is a lecturer on the Gullah language and Black History of Charleston. He has given lectures and Gullah presentation for students from North Carolina A & T College, National Association of Substance and Drug Abuse Commission, Charleston Nurses Association, The Medical University Minority Program, The 1993 Annual Meeting of the Seventh Episcopal District of the

South Carolina A. M. E. Church Lay Organization, Kenyon College in Ohio, The University of College Designer Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority of Chapel Hill. N. C., Bell South, The Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, and many other organizations. He has been a guest on the talk show “Question of the Day,” KQXL in Baton Rouge. LA., The Michael Feldman’s radio talk show, and numerous radio and television appearances.

Mr. Brown’s Gullah Tours was featured in the May 1993 issue of the Charleston Magazine , in the February 1995 edition of Southern Living Magazine, The January l996 edition of Readers Digest, in Charles Kuralt’s bestseller, America , Bert Wolf television special of Charleston, Southern Living Presents on Turner South Television Network, October 2009 edition of Southern magazine for one of the top five tours in Charleston, South Carolina PBS specials, and B. Smith with Style are just a few of the many television and newspaper/magazine articles. He is a recipient of the very prestigious, “Three Sisters Award,” and was recently recognized at one of South Carolina State University Stellar Alumni.  His website is www.gullahtours.com.

Mr. Brown is a retired Band Director from The Charleston County School District where he worked at Rivers High/Middle School for many years. He and his late wife, Laquines, are the proud parents of three sons: Howard, Terrence, and Joel, three daughters-in-law, and presently, eight grandchildren.

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‘I Gullah Geechee, too’: the educators keeping a language of enslaved Africans alive

Sunn m’Cheaux and Akua Page teach Gullah language and culture from juvenile incarceration facilities to Harvard

I n 2019, Akua Page was invited to a juvenile incarceration facility in Richland county, South Carolina , to give a presentation about the Gullah Geechee language, an English-based creole created by enslaved Africans. When the teens walked into the room, Page recalled, they seemed hardened, angry and annoyed. Undeterred, she began her lesson.

“I told them: ‘Hey, I understand y’all are Gullah Geechee ,’” the 30-year-old educator said. “I validated them first, and said: ‘Y’all are bilingual. You’re not dumb, you don’t have a learning disability – you’re just bilingual, and here’s what you can do to navigate the system you’re in.’”

The kids, direct descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the Sea Island cotton plantations in the US, had a total change of demeanor. Instead of eye-rolling or irritation, Page said she saw smiles and giggles, and they began eagerly participating in the conversation.

Getting people – even Gullah Geechee folks themselves – to appreciate and understand the importance of perpetuating Gullah Geechee culture is not always this easy for educators like Page. Preserving the Gullah Geechee language, in particular, has had its own set of challenges, especially since decades of stigma have rendered the centuries-old dialect “endangered”, as categorized by linguists.

A type of American creole, the language was formed by enslaved Africans who lived on islands along the country’s south-east coast. Because they were isolated from the rest of the region, they were able to create a unique dialect and culture. According to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission , Gullah began as a “form of communication among people who spoke many different languages, including European slave traders, slave owners and diverse, African ethnic groups”.

Since emancipation, though, there has been an effort to forcibly assimilate Gullah Geechee people into the American mainstream, in part through the attempted eradication of the Gullah Geechee language. Many people, including teachers, considered the language to be “broken English” or “improper English”. Gullah Geechee children were encouraged to speak standard English in school, and were penalized for talking in their native tongue.

“For a long time, it was considered negative to be Gullah, though we didn’t grow up feeling negative about ourselves,” Delo Washington of St Helena Island, South Carolina, a retired professor, said in a 2005 report on Gullah Geechee culture. “But we were considered strange people with a strange language. You couldn’t get a job speaking that way.”

Gullah is still spoken today by some people in North Carolina , South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the states that make up the Gullah Geechee region, but it’s much rarer than it once was. Page and a growing contingent of Gullah Geechee people are working to revive the language. Through their promotion of the dialect, they are shepherding it into the future, ensuring that the first documented language created by people who would go on to become Black Americans is maintained.

‘Wait a minute, we still say that’

Though “Gullah”, “Geechee” and “Gullah Geechee” are often used interchangeably to refer to a single language, Page said that there are differences among the three, both in etymology and meaning. Gullah is the “mother tongue”, she said, because it developed while Gullah Geechee ancestors lived on the Sea Islands, largely shielded from outside influences. It was created because enslaved Africans from different cultures and backgrounds had to learn how to communicate with each other. The isolation allowed the language to flourish, and it is distinct for its African influences.

Geechee evolved from Gullah, Page said, once mainlanders and Gullah Geechee people started to interact more. They began learning English, and via syncretism, or the amalgamation of two distinct languages, created a new linguistic path. Gullah Geechee, then, was born of two hybrid languages that were created by linguistic influences from a variety of African cultures and countries.

The Gullah Geechee language has influenced the development of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), larger Black culture and, more broadly, American culture, Page said – but with little recognition or acknowledgement.

Highlighting that connective tissue is what the educator Sunn m’Cheaux said helps his students see the similarities between their current-day speech and the Gullah Geechee language. M’Cheaux, a Gullah Geechee expert from Mt Holly, South Carolina, has taught Gullah Geechee in the African language program at Harvard University since 2016. He said that for his students, some of whom are Gullah Geechee or have Gullah Geechee ancestry, learning the language helps them develop pride and a new sense of self.

As children, some of the students who grew up in the Gullah Geechee region or had family from that area wondered why they “talked a little bit funny” or why their parents or grandparents sounded different. M’Cheaux’s class helps them feel closer to their family. “In presenting Gullah, it’s allowing a lot of people to say: ‘Wait a minute, we still say that,’” m’Cheaux said. “Once you break it down for them, they’re like: ‘I am still maintaining certain parts of my language.’”

Even though there are courses across American colleges that teach about the Gullah Geechee language, m’Cheaux’s classes are different because they teach students how to actually speak the language. “[Students] aren’t really sure what to expect,” m’Cheaux said. “They may be somewhat familiar with AAVE, but when you break it down, some of these elements have existed for generations, hundreds of years.”

M’Cheaux, who spoke Gullah exclusively until he learned English in middle school, said the notion of teaching Gullah to outsiders would have been laughable when he was younger. According to Page, some Gullah Geechee elders were physically beaten for speaking the language by educators who traveled south to teach them standard English, as recently as her grandparents’ generation.

Students were put into speech or remedial classes – contributing to a stigma that has lasted for decades. Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, which has a high concentration of people of Gullah Geechee descent, Page said she remembers a time when saying someone “sounded Geechee” would be considered a provocation, or “fighting words”. As a result, some Gullah people only used the language privately, opting to code-switch in public, or stopped speaking it entirely, preventing their children from learning it as a means of protection.

The suppression led to a knowledge gap, and though the language is still spoken in places, educators like m’Cheaux and Page are a crucial part of ensuring that younger generations learn about the culture. “The influence of Gullah being taught at Harvard … helps increase the visibility,” m’Cheaux said. “With the old guard in the community, many of them were satisfied to keep the language insulated, with the logic being: it’s for us, by us, nobody else needs to have access to it. But in time, people die. People get old. Generations don’t speak to one another as much as they used to, so kids aren’t exactly learning the language.”

A Gullah Geechee renaissance

Last autumn, Ebony Toussaint invited Ron and Natalie Daise of the groundbreaking 90s-era children’s television show Gullah Gullah Island to the University of South Carolina to give a talk. Toussaint, a 34-year-old southern studies postdoctoral researcher and author of the children’s book G Is for Gullah, teaches Gullah Geechee history and culture at the university.

During her speech, Natalie Daise spoke about the concept of cultural preservation. “She talked about keeping something stagnant, versus how … our culture is still growing and expanding and dynamic,” Toussaint recalled. “Social media has connected many of us in so many beautiful and brilliant ways. I always tell people, I think we’re in the midst of a Gullah Geechee renaissance.”

Gullah Geechee culture has garnered some level of mainstream popularity in recent decades. Cities across the corridor offer tours of Gullah Geechee sites, shops and restaurants (Page runs one such tour in Charleston). Popular food shows such as Netflix’s High on the Hog and Max’s Chasing Flavor with Carla Hall explore the Gullah Geechee influence on southern and Black culinary traditions. In 2019, Ranky Tanky, a Gullah Geechee band, became the first Gullah Geechee musical group to win a Grammy award. And museums such as the International African American Museum in Charleston offer exhaustive views into Gullah Geechee history and contemporary life.

In addition to his courses at Harvard, m’Cheaux has a robust social media presence – some 180,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 16,000 on X – and teaches online Gullah workshops to his followers. He creates lesson plans for some videos, in which he discusses the social linguistics, history and evolution of language. His online audiences, he said, are often as enthusiastic as his Harvard students.

Similarly, Page created a YouTube video in 2019, Geechee 101 , in which she and a friend share the meanings and usages of Gullah Geechee words. The video has garnered almost 200,000 views and serves as an introduction to the language for many people. It also led some Gullah Geechee people to begin openly and proudly speaking the language.

“After that video, it felt different,” Page said. “People I did not know were Gullah Geechee would come up to me and start greeting me with the Gullah Geechee language saying: ‘Oh, yeah, I Gullah Geechee, too.’ I feel like it was a weight lifted off so many people’s shoulders. They were like: ‘I’m reclaiming this, this is nothing to be ashamed of.’”

Despite pushback from some people who think that Gullah Geechee language and culture should remain behind closed doors for Gullah Geechee people only, Page, Toussaint and m’Cheaux all pointed to broad community support.

“We moved away, but all of us are back home now doing this cultural-preservation work,” Toussaint said, referencing other Gullah Geechee educators, such as Sara Daise, one of Ron and Natalie Daise’s children, and Jessica Berry, who also work to promote the language and culture. “It’s still a community effort. I couldn’t do this work alone.”

The ongoing resurgence aims to remedy what centuries of Gullah Geechee cultural repression have wrought. Preserving the language, for these educators, is paramount. “Some people are under the impression that they’ve lost more than they actually have,” m’Cheaux said. “There’s a lot more that’s still there.”

• Gullah Geechee
• Cotton Capital: ongoing series
• Black US culture
• Linguistics
• South Carolina

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Charleston City Paper

Griffin to be focus of hearing on 39 ethics allegations

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The S.C. Ethics Commission (SCEC) will convene June 20 to hear 39 ethics allegations against former Charleston City Councilman Harry Griffin, according to an official notice of hearing filed this week.

Griffin, who served on council from 2017 to 2021, is accused of five counts of failing to disclose campaign contributions, one count of failing to disclose campaign expenditures, 31 counts of using campaign funds for personal use and two counts of excessive cash withdrawals. All told, the ethics allegations accuse Griffin of failing to report between $300 and $542.64 in contributions and more than $7,000 in expenditures as well as transferring more than $11,000 of campaign funds into a personal account between August 2017 and June 2021.

Griffin declined today to comment on the accusations. Griffin is remembered for spearheading an audit into former Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg’s expenses in 2019. It focused on an inexpensive batch of double-sided business cards sporting the mayor’s name and contact information on one side, and his wife’s on the other, labeling her as the, “First Lady” under the city seal. An investigation costing the city more than $50,000 eventually found no wrongdoing, according to media reports .

West Ashley resident Ed Sutton filed complaints regarding Griffin’s campaign expenditures after Griffin’s 2021 election defeat, culminating this week in the SCEC’s hearing notice. Sutton, now a Democratic candidate for S.C. Senate, declined to comment on the complaints earlier today.

Prior to a 2022 decision by the Ethics Commission , whistleblowers who filed complaints accusing S.C. officials of misconduct were barred from speaking about the complaints absent a finding of guilt by the commission. Complainants who violated the rule were subject to misdemeanor charges, up to $1,000 in fines, and up to a year of jail time. 

The 2022 change followed a federal lawsuit alleging that gag orders by the Ethics Commission violated free-speech protections. An advisory opinion that the Ethics Commission published in March 2022 held that a closer review of the ethics law determined its confidentiality requirements applied only to the commission itself, not to citizens who file complaints.

Outreach today to the top official at the Ethics Commission was not successful. A staff member directed inquiries to a media email address. The commission had not answered requests for comment as of 5 p.m. April 26.

According to the April 22 notice, the SCEC’s hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. June 20 at the Commission Hearing Room in Columbia. It will be open to the public. A pre-hearing conference may be scheduled prior to the hearing to allow the exchange of witness lists and evidence, marking of exhibits and disposition of motions or pleadings. 

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