If you are fortunate enough to live in the coastal southeast the words Gullah and Geechee which are somewhat interchangeable will have made a huge impact on your life. In my personal experiences these people are healers and can bestow great blessings on you. But let’s start with their history before I share my history with them again.
Historically, the Gullah region extended from the Cape Fear area on North Carolina’s coast south to the vicinity of Jacksonville on Florida’s coast. Today, the Gullah area is confined to the Georgia and South Carolina Lowcountry. The Gullah people and their language are also called Geechee, which may be derived from the name of the Ogeechee River near Savannah, Georgia. Gullah is a term that was originally used to designate the creole dialect of English spoken by Gullah and Geechee people. Over time, its speakers have used this term to formally refer to their creole language and distinctive ethnic identity as a people. The Georgia communities are distinguished by identifying as either “Freshwater Geechee” or “Saltwater Geechee”, depending on whether they live on the mainland or the Sea Islands.[Source: Wikipedia].
My father was born in South Carolina, and I taught there in one HBCU and one community college in the University of Clemson family. At the HBCU I meet a lot of Geechees. And I remember one year everyone became very, very sick. I guess it was a flu of some sort but it was really bad. I remember having trouble finding housing in the small town because the locals didn’t really love having an HBCU in their tiny town. Eventually, I was allowed to rent a small house which I lived in alone. I had sort of an affair with a preacher down the street whose congregation included a whopping 28 people. He was an avid bike rider and would often stop by after super long bike rides and smoke one of my cigarettes and drink my beer. lol.
It’s actually a time of positive memories for me and most of all my male students loved me (not like that) because I would let the come talk to me in my office about anything. I remember at that time one of my students had been shipped there from Atlanta to await a rape trial. He chopped down a Christmas tree for me that year. It was a rough year for my students and I as frequently having to find them attorneys. But every Wednesday around mid day I think or maybe morning we were all required to go to church, faculty and a students alike. It. Was. Long. But I loved this job and we were all one big happy family, and my kids excelled and rocked their reading tests (after many profanity laced works of “encouragement.”
But anyway one winter we all got very sick. One of my students was said to be a big drug dealer. And AS I LAY DYING, he showed up at my house. He said, “Hey Miss Tamara! I need you to drink this.” I had never felt so bad in my life and thought well fuck. I might as well be taking drugs of whatever sort at this point. Mind you there was not even a WalMart in this town. He handed me a Giant Gulp cup from the 7-11 that looked like it had been on the floor of his car for days.
He had gone home to the islands to get us all a cure. I drank whatever it was in the nasty 7-11 cup and was like I just need to die now. It doesn’t even matter anymore. I remember him telling me that I was the first person he wanted to give it to and he would divide up the rest. That may have been the kindest anyone has ever been to me. And THE NEXT FUCKING DAY I was healed and back to work. These days the Geechee women aren’t seen much in Charleston where their hand weaved baskets sell for OBSCENE prices in the 100s of dollars at times. But I will never forget how much I felt loved and needed at that job. It was my first professorship. And I think you should all know these kind members of the African disporia, your life would be better for it. As mine is. Sadly, or maybe not, they have become a “tourist” place rather than a love place. All of South Carolina is my love place. I met my first true love there. I was 18 or 19 and I’ll never forget him.
Speaking of first true loves. Banjo is walking weird at times and having incontinence issues. This is why I am sort of glossing over the poster who recently lost their dog. I can’t invest in that when I know what is coming. Also, I apologize for making this all about me. I just wanted to share my deep personal connection on this one. I also wanted my beloved Geechee friends to speak for themselves. So I hope I did not overstep.
I hope you will listen to the entire Ted Talk and watch all the videos and know how much I love the Geechee people.
Thank you TT…my father’s family originate from a small Caribbean island where they speak French Patios, very similar to the dialect spoken by the Gullah community.
Seeing the video and the man’s back at the end covered in such horrific scaring….shame on those who enslaved us and committed such atrocities then as they do to this day!
Hard to celebrate BH month when the hatred against and towards us is still so palpable…
Oh I loved reading this! TT you have lived such a great interesting life, I would love to know more about your teaching career
Sorry I didn’t mean to reply to this post, I meant to have a new post.
I wonder what was in that magic elixir in that cup. We all could use some of that Geechee Juice right now!
they probably gave you some concoction of herbs that made you sweat it all out. They prepared it with love and care and respect. And they shared it willingly, emphatically and generously. Purety at best.
Oh my gosh, I LOVED your story about the college teaching years and the students and the Geechee cure so much and on so many levels. BTW- I know it’s not about Gullah/Geechee specifically (although it is Black history related), but this coming Tuesday and Wednesday on PBS at 9pm , there’s a 2 part Henry Louis Gates Jr. series on the history of the Black church. Just read a preview of it in our local paper and it looks fantastic (like everything he does).
I proudly own two small seagrass baskets that I bought on Edisto Island SC…home to many Gullah/Geechee. TT you remind me of Pat Conroy and his novel “The Water is Wide” about his time teaching on Daufuskie Island (there is also a movie call “Conrack” with Jon Voight) …you have probably already read it but if not I think you would enjoy it.
This is a great article…thank you!
My mother used to always be REALLY PISSED at me for buying my students at this college clothes and food. Because how dare I? This is one of the colleges where I was an advisor. My advisees were often arrested for rape of all things and drugs I was often their safe place to talk and TALK THEY DID. I really loved them all without judgement and I got back way more than I gave and it is a time I will never forget.
We trusted each other completely which is why I drank from the dirty cup. And I often wonder if they are okay.
This one kid who had literally nothing and no one and God knows how he was even there would conveniently come by at lunch time on most days. It always started with his “therapy time” and on one day he said he was going to be Muslim and as such he was giving up pork. I should point out that this was a Christian “religious” school and we all went to church every day whether we wanted to or not. (I LOVED IT. I would sit in the balcony with the kids who did not want to be there and hear all the gossip as they talked over the sermon). Any so it came time to feed the kid and he asked for pepperoni pizza. When I explained that was haram… his journey into Islam abruptly ended. 🙂
This was actually a really hard year for me at the time and my first professorship. But now that I am old, I look back on it as one of my favorite years of life It was a whole Flannery O’Connor novel, my scandalous affair with the preacher, literally multiple times trying to bail out accused rapists. The white accused rapist from Atlanta who stuck out lie a sore thumb who worked at a crab shack and would crack all the crab for me just because and chopped down a Christmas tree that was too big for the house and so he cut THE TOP OFF. Soo many good memories.
so amazing…you need to get with your fan that is also an author (dahlimama?) and yall need to write a book based on your life! and I know you made an impact on those kids and they probably think about you as well…we all remember people who are kind to use and treat us with respect and compassion.
Sadly, I am not sure I helped. Even in that one year they were in and out of jail on very serious charges. And The HBCU if it still exists is a fraud and stole money from both teachers and students. The religion is a total fraud. It’s a dark underbelly. And the small town itself had a Flint Michigan sort of water problem issue. And the racism there was the worst I’ve ever experienced. So I am sort of glamorizing a very bad time.
But sometimes the worst situations give you the best friends. And I really miss having in person friends. In a small little hellhole like that, Everyone knows everyone and all of your business (which they blow up into huge scandals) but it was nice to have friends, like Mr. Nice? I can’t remember his name. Maybe Smiley? or something and we would take each other to lunch (which for some reason was also VERY SCANDOLOUS) and eat BBQ at all the weird small BBQ places who thought BBQ should be made with mustard. Working at tiny colleges had the added benefit of eating at all of these weird local restaurants.
I was working somewhere, might have been the same place or a different college in South Carolina and there was an Amish community. When my parents who used to visit me WAY WAY WAY more than I wanted. LOL. I was the baby and the favorite but I was also in my twenties if you know what I mean. Anyway, they would stop at the town 20 miles or so over to eat at an Amish cafeteria and insist on taking me there. It was amazing and it reminded them of Morrisions on Amish food. LOL. Old southern people here would remember going to Morissons on Sunday after church.
There was an Amish bakery in one of my tiny little towns. THEY. MADE. CHEESESTRAWS. Everything there was amazing. I need to go back to small town life where everyone is in my business and the restaurants are not up to code. 🙂
lol! BBQ with mustard sauce is THE best! hahahaha…now even tho I live near Memphis and I still crave South Carolina BBQ and turn my nose up at Memphis BBQ..tthe Smokin Pig near Clemson is THE BEST I have ever had if you want a 2 hr road trip…(they also have other sauces than mustard and their brisket is tooo die for and their home made pork rinds…) I have friends I grew up with who own an Amish style restuarant in Greenwood SC (they are not Amish but it is the best meat and three hands down)
You need to check out Kardea Brown on youtube (she is also on FoodNetwork) she is Gullah Geechee heritage and films on Edisto and cooks many Gullah recipes…she is just wonderful!!!
There were literally no places to eat in our town. ZERO RESTAURANTS. NONE. I think the nearby city was called Blackville. Me and Dr Smiley not sure if that is his real name and I had the most fantastic “lunch dates” he took me to all the places, Oh so many gay men I have dated and loved over the years.
Thank you so much. My father’s family is Geechee and I always wanted to learn more about his/our people. I really appreciate you highlighting them.
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You come from a very strong, very driven, very religious, very loving stock. And everyone who meets them falls in love. So you have a divine path.
Thank you! That was lovely.
My family and I are lovers of the Lowcountry. We love everything Gullah as well. We visit there as often as possible.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful memories!!
Wonderful. My dear friend, an elder who I love, is Geechee. She is Divine, so sweet, kind and knowledgeable. I adore her. Thank you for highlighting this beautiful culture.
A famous Gullah is The Supreme Court justice who shall not be named.
^^^ Dammit. SCJ with Gullah origin……how does he sleep at night? That history is so rich, but he is in denial of his ancestral greatness.
Always interesting here TT – Thank you for the info