In the very places where they lived, worked and walked, the National Park System protects the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, Mary McLeod Bethune, Carter G. Woodson, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr. and a host of other African American leaders. It also protects the last remaining "slave cabins" built by enslaved Americans, and includes the lands and waters occupied by the Gullah/Geechee people, the oldest native community of Black people in America. The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor extends from Wilmington, North Carolina to St. Augustine, Florida, including the barrier islands and extending over 30 miles inland.

 

 

 
 

Tranquility reigns in the Gullah/Geechee environment off St. Helena Island. Gullah Geechee photo.

 

 

The Gullah/Geechee people's history in the parks is particularly relevant this month, as we just learned that the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission has been selected to participate in President Obama's Inaugural Parade Jan. 21, 2013. (The Commission was established to help determine how the Corridor is managed.) Effectively, this means that the most pure-blooded African Americans on the continent -- those who lived in isolation on the barrier islands off the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida until the first bridges connected them to the mainland in the middle of the 20th Century -- will be a key part of the celebration of the Second Administration of the First American President of African descent! Wow!

 

"The talented groups chosen to participate in the Inaugural Parade reflect the spirit, values, and diversity of our great nation," said President Obama. "Vice President Biden and I are honored to have them join us in the parade."

 

"Our float will be vibrant," said Ronald Daise, Chair of the Commission. "It will represent our unique African American culture, which has direct linkages to First Lady Obama, our folk life and traditions that continue to impact the American cultural fabric and influence military families who reside in communities of the 11 military bases throughout the four-state corridor."

 

 

              Queen Quet reflects at the water's edge on St. Helena Island.

 

Here's how I describe the culture in "Our True Nature:"

 

". . .we are close friends with Queen Quet, founder of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and a leading exponent of the Gullah/Geechee culture. She was instrumental in getting Congress to designate the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in 2006, to protect the unique culture of people of African descent who live on and around the Sea Islands and have done so continuously since the 1600s. The waters separating the Gullah/Geechee people from mainland America also caused them to evolve a separate language and different traditions of closeness as a community. Even today the people still focus on each other's wellbeing in a way that reminds me of the place I grew up in Jamaica 60 years ago. There's a sense of belonging that extends immediately to embrace the newcomer.

 

  "The Gullah/Geechee people's culture is closer to Africa than any other culture in America. Many of the people own and live on the land that has been in their family for generations. Nobody lives the culture more than Queen Quet. At a recent conference, a young woman commented on how well defined Queen's arms are, and asked if she works out. 'Yes,' Queen laughingly responded. 'I still go and dig clams and carry a bucket of them home on my head, if that's what you mean by work out.'

 

"St. Helena Island in South Carolina is the heart of the Corridor for me as it includes both the historic Penn Center (50 acres of history dating back to the school's founding in 1862, including 19 original buildings) and Queen Quet's home base. She offers retreats and tours among many other efforts that help expand awareness and enjoyment of her culture. . ."

 

Congressman James Clyburn, who sponsored the Act creating the Corridor, said "The Gullah Geechee Commission has been making significant progress in its mission to protect and preserve this tremendous cultural legacy. I believe its inclusion in the 2013 Inaugural Parade will bring added attention to its efforts and would be especially relevant for President Obama's inauguration."

 

For more information on the Corridor, visit the National Park Service site at http://www.nps.gov/guge/index.htm. To organize a tour or experience the Gullah/Geechee culture with Queen Quet, contact her at GullGeeCo@aol.com

to embrace the newcomer.

  

  

  (Publication of "Our True Nature" is supported by Delaware North Parks & Resorts; Guest Services Inc. and Forever Resorts)