My Gullah Is

The annual Penn Center Heritage Day Parade in South Carolina celebrates the Gullah Geechee people. But after several years of traffic complaints, the parade has been scaled back. Black residents say a new route makes it feel as if their legacy is vanishing. https://nyti.ms/43p4c30

FULL!

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“What’s more important?”

🔲 A plant

✅ The soil that grew it!!!

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A fulfilled birthday wish of visiting and revisiting my roots and hopping here, there, and everywhere (well almost…will catch my Jasper Co. folks next time) that matters most to me:

THE LAND
@ Baynard Road in front of 60 acres purchased by Barnwell Brown, my 2nd paternal great-grandfather in 1895 with Robert Smalls signing as grantor in his capacity as the Law of Beaufort Co.

THOSE BEFORE ME
@ Jericho Cemetery, the burial grounds of the majority of my paternal ancestors

FAMILY
@ Burton, SC where my uncles gifted me a combo of fresh blueberries from the bush I fondly remembered on the side of my grandmother’s house but despised as a child on the side of my grandmother’s house because I didn’t like blueberries (love them now), a pear from the tree growing in a ditch, and fresh gigantic tomatoes (and a secret stash of freshly canned tomatoes-thanks Unc Sandy)!

HISTORY
@ the historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island! —a necessary fixture of our culture so please let’s continue to support!!! (not pictured here)

PERSEVERANCE
@ Frampton Plantation to see the traveling sculpture of Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom!

LEGACY
@ the newly opened International African Museum in Charleston, SC! Amazingly done—please let’s begin supporting (if you haven’t already) by visiting or donating!

* Special Shoutout to my beau for “Driving Ms. Manda” (👉🏾me👈🏾)all around on my birthday and for all the love and consideration and timekeeping to make sure that I saw, explored, and digested all I needed!

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