Gullahs -- Social life and customs

Abstract Dr. Virginia Benmaman is a former College of Charleston professor within the Hispanic Studies department. She had a passion for linguistics, particularly the derived history of specific dialects. She gifted this collection to the Avery Research Center of African American History and Culture in 2002, with the hopes that researches would use the resources within when studying the history, culture, and language of the Gullah Geechee corridor along the atlantic coastal regions. The...

Collection Overview

The collection consists of two copies of Ooman, a Gullah language sermon that was written by "Reb. Cudjoe Middletun" from South Santee River, South Carolina. The sermon is not dated and consists of a single typed page.

Abstract

The Pete Peters video collection contains 19 Type C 1-inch one-hour video reels from the never completed documentary entitled Catch the Song, which was written and produced by John Wise. The aim of the project was to document the African roots of the Sea Island Gullah culture. Eventually, SCETV, who was funding the documentary, thought the project was taking too long to complete, and Wise could no longer afford their services.

Collection Overview

The collection consists of two copies of Geraty's Gullah language poem, "T'enk'Gawd fuh Chaa'stun, and the English translation of the work. The poem was a gift from Geraty to College of Charleston President Alex Sanders. Each poem is two pages. The first page contains the Gullah poem, and the second page contains the English translation. The poem is dated 1995.