Talkin’ Gullah

Did you know that "Kumbaya," is a Gullah word? Yes, it means "come by here." Did you know every time you use the words “gumbo,” “yo,” “tote,” “bubba,” “yam,” “juke,” “jitters,” or “goober” that you are speaking Gullah? You learn something new every day!

The First English Creole Language in the U.S.

The nearly 400,000 enslaved Africans who were brought to the United States America as had something that gave them identity and from which they could not be parted despite the violence of capture, the horrors of the middle passage, and the despoilment of slavery—their native languages. They arrived in America speaking Bambara, Ewe, Fon, Fante, Fulani, Hausa, Kongo, Kimbundu, Vai, and Mende, among other tongues. Under slavery they had to acquire the rudiments of English and they eventually lost the fluent use of their native languages, but they did not forget them all together. They had to find a way to communicate with each other so they created a common tongue called Gullah. Learn more from this Smithsonian exhibit on Lorenzo Dow Turner, PhD, the father of Gullah studies an African-American academic and linguist who did seminal research on the Gullah language spoken in coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. 

Gullah Teacha Sunn M’Cheaux

Sunn m’Cheaux was born in Charleston, South Carolina. A true Gullah/Geechee “binyah” (native), he was reared in rural Mt. Holly, South Carolina in a familial village established in the late 1850s. The rich Gullah language and culture he absorbed growing up on those sandy Low Country backroads is ever-present in his life as an artist, advocate, and educator. In 2017, eh became the first and only Gullah language instructor at Harvard University. In this role, he teaches a curriculum based on extensive research and his own personal Gullah/Geechee knowledge and experience. He also teaches the language via social media.

Gullah Geechee Grammar

Jessica Berry, PhD, is a university professor, researcher, author, and child language expert who enjoys educating others about modern Gullah Geechee culture and language. Inspired by her experiences as a Gullah Geechee speaker navigating the complex and negative classroom experience, Dr. Berry has devoted her career to advocating for the recognition, celebration, and inclusion of Gullah Geechee in mainstream culture.

Embracing your native tongue

Ron Daise, author, performing artist, and former Chairman of the federal Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, gave a TED Talk on learning to embrace his Gullah Geechee heritage changed his life. Ron is the current Vice President for Creative Education at Brookgreen Gardens, where he presents the "Gullah Geechee Program Series.