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Learn about Gullah Geechee culture, history, and beliefs with Author, Emmy-nominated Performing Artist, and Cultural Interpreter Ron Daise. Explore the resilience and dignity of Gullah Geechee people throughout systems of oppression as Daise juxtaposes readings of excerpts from his novella, We Wear the Mask, Unraveled Truths in a Pre-Gullah Community, with stanzas of “We Wear the Mask” by poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.
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.