Author, Emmy-nominated Performing Artist, and Cultural Interpreter Ron Daise discusses Gullah Geechee culture and history, and the spirituality of Gullah Geechee people as depicted through characters and scenes in Raptors in the Ricelands, his first historical novel. Set in a twenty-first century fictional community within Georgetown, SC, a story unfolds, revealing family secrets and conflicts that challenge cultural beliefs.
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.