More than 20 representatives gathered at Midway’s Dorchester Academy on Friday to discuss preservation and cultural reclamation during the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission’s fall meeting.

Comprised of representatives from Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas, the commission was designated by Congress in September 2006 to recognize the cultural contributions of the Gullah/Geechee people, descendants of Africans brought to the Southeast as slaves.

At the beginning of the meeting, South Carolina Commissioner J. Herman Blake gave background information on the Gullah/Geechee.

"Our goal is to try and share with the general public as much as possible some perspectives on the Gullah culture," he said. "We can’t go into the future without continuing to revere and honor the past."

Since 2008, the group has been creating a management plan for the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to use in preserving the culture’s language, artifacts, folklore, crafts and land.

South Carolina Commissioner Ronald Daise, who starred in the 1990s Nickelodeon television show "Gullah Gullah Island," updated the group on the plan’s progress.

Between now and January, the commission will make final revisions to the plan and submit it to the National Park Service’s Denver Service Center for review, Daise said. The DSC will release the plan for a 30-day public comment period between January and March.

When introducing the Gullah/Geechee culture, Blake spoke about the traits that West Africans brought with them to America, explaining that they came with a sense of small-scale political organization and a tendency toward gender equity.

They were experienced in farming, fishing and hunting and skilled at cotton and rice production, he said.

"Those Africans, who came here from many different parts of Africa with many of the roots we have described … went through a severe trial," Blake said. "I don’t think the literature or any of our understandings can really articulate the seriousness of that severe trial or any of its consequences."

He explained that 200 years of enslavement, isolation of the coastal sea islands, the illegal import of slaves from Africa as recent as 1858 and a century of post-emancipation oppression combined to create and foster the Gullah/Geechee’s rare culture.

"When I think of enslavement … I think of generations for over 200 years where a child was born and could have no hope beyond where his parents were — think of what it does to a culture or how it creates a culture — if for 200 years, there’s no hope for young people," he said.

Much of the culture has been passed down through oral tradition, Blake explained. He conducted research through interviews of direct descendents of enslaved people, whose stories have been sanitized in many historical representations.

For 200 years, South Carolina had a black population majority that mainstream historians have overlooked in favor of exploring European influence, he said. In the 1900 Census of Hilton Head Island, there were an estimated 2,000 African-Americans and 10 whites.

But Jim Bacote, director of Geechee Kunda Cultural Arts Center in Riceboro, said the group does not place enough emphasis on Liberty County’s Geechee influence. While Bacote is pleased that the federal government has taken an interest in the culture, he attends the meetings to make sure they "get it right."

"The reason we’re here … is to dispel the myth they are perpetuating that ours is a dying and faltering culture —that could never happen as long as the Geechee people in Liberty County and Coastal Georgia are alive," Bacote said. He could not quantify the number of Geechee people in the area, but he said most coastal African-Americans identify with the culture.

Bacote shared stories about his relatives, who were self-sustaining in the region after slavery ended.

"After enslavement, there wasn’t a lot of commerce in the county. The free labor was gone, so the white folks went on to other things. They just left us to fend for ourselves, which was fine," he said. "There wasn’t any anxiety, there wasn’t any depression, no one starved, there wasn’t any drug abuse — everyone was patient and loving."

Since Geechee Kunda opened, many of Bacote’s relatives who once distanced themselves from the culture have reclaimed it, he said.

"And we are not exclusive. We try to tie everybody in. Everybody is loved," Bacote said.

In other news, the group has applied for 501(c)3 nonprofit status, which will aid in future fundraising efforts by allowing tax-deductible donations. In the meantime, those who wish to donate without tax deductions still may
do so.

For more information, go to www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org

For the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor

INSTRUCTIONS

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

You should provide other types of supporting materials that describe your organization, such as brochures, letters of support, press clippings, or other information. Please make sure that each piece of supporting material is labeled with the name of your organization and complete contact information (contact person, phone number, email address).

SIGNATURES

Please sign the Affirmation of Support, Statement of Consent, and Renewal Acknowledgement found at the end of this application form. All three signatures are required for designation as a Partnership. Electronic signatures will be accepted.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You are encouraged to submit your application electronically. This PDF form enables you to type directly into the form fields within the application. Text size must be no smaller than 10-point.

Electronic applications should be submitted to partnerapplication@gullahgeecheecorridor.org. Please include "Gullah/Geechee Partnership Application" as the subject line of the email.

Hard-copy applications and any non-electronic supporting material may be mailed to:

Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, Inc.

c/o NPS Partnership Specialist

1214 Middle Street

Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE

To obtain more information on the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Partnership Programs or if you have questions regarding your application, please visit www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org.

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A. GENERAL INFORMATION

Organization Name ________________________________________________________________

Contact Person ________________________________________________________________

Title of Contact Person ________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address ________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________

Physical Address ________________________________________________________________

County _______________________________________________________________

Phone ________________________________________________________________

Fax ________________________________________________________________

Email ________________________________________________________________

Website ________________________________________________________________

B. MANAGEMENT

□ Charity or Non-Profit

□ Private Business

□ Citizen’s Group

□ College/University

□ Interested Citizen (if checked, skip to Section D)

1. Please list the names and titles of the members of your organization’s leadership and attach resumes and/or short bios for each.

2. Please fill out the following information about your paid and volunteer staff:

Number of paid staff: _____ Total hours of paid staff per year: _____

Number of volunteer staff: _____ Total hours of volunteer staff per year: _____

C. MISSION AND GOALS

Please state your organizational mission, date of most recent revision, and key goals:

D. PROGRAMS FOR PARTNERSHIP

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission has developed nine partnership programs that are directly aligned with the three pillars of the overall management approach for the Corridor – education, economic development, and documentation/preservation. Implementation of these programs will support the protection, preservation, and restoration of tangible and intangible community resources with historical and cultural significance, will enhance quality of life within the corridor, and will foster public awareness and appreciation of the history and contributions of the Gullah/Geechee people in the United States and their connections to the African Diaspora and other cultures.

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(X) next to more than one category if you are turning in more than one proposal as part of this application. No more than two proposals are allowed per application. Please mark the "Other" category for any proposal that does not neatly fit into any other category within the program you are applying under.

I. Education Program

This program educates all age groups across the Corridor about Gullah/Geechee culture and history.

□ Primary and Secondary (i.e. curriculum guides, field trips guides, teacher education)

□ Higher Education (i.e. classes, internships, Gullah/Geechee studies program at college/university level)

□ Community Based Education (i.e. cultural training, apprenticeships)

□ Other

II. Research Program

This program builds upon the existing research about Gullah/Geechee history and culture.

□ Academic (i.e. community-based research, fellowships, scholarships, field work)

□ Other

III. Interpretation Program

This program enhances interpretation and awareness of Gullah/Geechee history and culture.

□ Exhibits (permanent and/or traveling)

□ Brochures

□ Other

IV. Business Development Program

This program enhances existing businesses and generates new ones.

□ Festivals

□ Enterprise Zones (local or state)

□ Heritage Tax Credits (local or state)

□ Marketing/Promotion (local, state, or Corridor-wide)

□ Other

V. Explore the Corridor Program

This program develops and promotes visitor and resident opportunities to experience the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

□ Signage

□ Heritage Tourism

□ Scenic Byway Designation

□ Traditional Recreation

□ Other

VI. Community Outreach and Training Program

This program enhances public engagement, involvement, and participation in sustaining the Gullah/Geechee culture.

□ Culture Forum

□ Listening Sessions

□ Training and Curriculum on land retention and ownership

□ Community Involvement

□ Other

VII. Environmental Sustainability Program

This program promotes environmental conservation, education, and awareness within the Corridor.

□ Environmental Education

□ Conservation and Restoration

□ Access to cultural/historic sites and or areas of traditional use

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VIII. Cultural Documentation Program

This program documents Gullah/Geechee history and culture.

□ Oral Histories

□ Language Preservation

□ Crafts and Skills

□ Sites

□ Other

IX. Preservation Program

This program preserves tangible and intangible Gullah/Geechee resources.

□ Physical Repositories

□ Digital Repositories

□ Land and Waterways

□ Sites and Structures

□ Objects

□ Most Endangered Gullah/Geechee Resources List

□ Other

Project proposals that are applicable, but not included above, that enhance the vision, mission and goals of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

Proposal #2. If more than one category was selected, please describe in what way(s) your organization would like to contribute to the program and category next to which you placed an (X). Be as specific and detailed as possible.

3. Please attach description(s) and/or example(s) of your past project work that demonstrate your experience, skills, and ability to successfully complete the contributions you have described above.

4. Please estimate the total amount of money your organization proposes to contribute to this initiative and over what timeframe those funds will apply.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Please estimate the total number of staff hours your organization proposes to contribute to this initiative. You may provide this information in hours per week, per month or per year, as appropriate.

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E. AFFIRMATION OF SUPPORT

On behalf of _________________________________________________________________________________,

(Name of Organization)

for which I am authorized to sign, I affirm our organization’s intent to form a partnership with the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. If selected, we pledge to advance the vision, mission and goals of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Management Plan and agree to contribute to an environment in which collaboration based on mutual respect and interest flourishes.

____________________________________________ ____________________________________

____________________________________________

F. STATEMENT OF CONSENT

I agree that I have been notified of and consent to the use of my company/organization/site/facility name upon acceptance as a Partner, for the purpose of promoting the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor including, but not limited to, print and digital media.

____________________________________________ ____________________________________

G. DESIGNATION TERM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I understand that, if accepted, the term of the Partner designation would be mutually determined by both the Corridor and the Partner. I further understand that if it becomes evident that the agreed upon work will likely not be completed within that term, that I must fill out an extension proposal to be submitted to the Corridor. Lastly, I acknowledge that if, after the completion of the project, my organization wishes to partner with the Corridor on a new proposal, that a new application would be required.

____________________________________________ ____________________________________