In a novel portrayal of Gullah Geechee culture, Author, Emmy-nominated Performing Artist, and Cultural Interpreter author Ron Daise engages listeners in a presentation about history, songs, beliefs, and language. He shares information about his research, citing references utilized from his previous publications, and reads excerpts from his historical novel, Raptors in the Ricelands, which is set in a fictional Gullah Geechee community, located in Georgetown, SC. The book is conveyed in four acts and with chapter names that follow the production stages of Carolina Gold Rice.
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.