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Utilizing audience-participation in singing and storytelling, Author, Emmy-nominated Performing Artist, and Cultural Interpreter Ron Daise identifies 10 memorable ways to recall the importance and significance of Gullah Geechee heritage. Cultural touchstones about which he informs include the origins of Gullah Geechee heritage, beliefs, songs, language, and folkways. Pictures, music, personal reflections, and lecture are interwoven throughout stanzas to the tune of a well-known Gullah coded message song. Audience members affirm each touchstone by responding “Dats right, I’m Gullah Geechee/I’m a saltwata Gullah Geechee”, lyrics from an original Daise tune that celebrates the importance of music to Gullah Geechee heritage.
About the Speaker:
Ron Daise, a St. Helena Island, SC native, is a prominent author, performer, and cultural preservationist. As Vice President for Creative Education at Brookgreen Gardens since 2004, he's received the 2019 SC Governor's Distinctive Achievement Award for his impactful contributions. Daise, along with his wife Natalie, created the "Gullah Geechee Wisdom Cards Guidebook," earning the 2017 SC African American Heritage Commission's Project Award. Former stars of Nick Jr. TV's "Gullah Gullah Island," they received the 2019 Foundation for Leadership Education Lifetime Achievement Award and other honors. Daise is a respected figure in Gullah Geechee cultural heritage, having served on the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and presented at the United Nations. A Hampton University graduate, he actively contributes to community and educational initiatives in Georgetown, SC.