Charlotte Teachers Institute

Synopsis: In its pursuit of development and progress, American history has disregarded the impact and influence of various minority groups and cultures. One of those groups that has suffered at the hands of time has been the Gullah Geechee culture of the lowcountry of the Southern United States. It is a hybrid culture developed by the enslaved peoples of West Africa brought to colonial America, by the tragic effects of the Triangular Trade and the Middle Passage. In an effort to communicate with each other, despite varying cultural backgrounds, along with the desire to disguise communications from slaveholders, the Gullah language mixed West African creole with English. However, the common denominator that bridged the Geeche people was food. Food has always been the link between generations, and within generations. And for the Gullah Geechee people, as their people have lost land and traditions to development and progress, it is their food that connects them to their past. From their origins of being expert cultivators of rice, to their foundations of cajun cuisine and “soul food”, the Gullah Geechee people have a proud and noble heritage. In this Curriculum Unit, our goal is to expose our students to the forgotten culture of the Gullah Geechee people, providing a powerful reflection of African-American culture that nearly all Americans, including many African-Americans are completely unaware of. Through resources such as the 1990s Nickelodeon’s family television series, “Gullah Gullah Island” and Padma Lakshmi’s “Taste the Nation” episode of “The Gullah Way”, we want to give insights into Gullah language, the Gullah food, and more than anything, the Gullah people. And if we are able to do that, we will be able to expose our students to the beauty of an important culture in the development of American history.