Sea Islands Heritage

As coastal lands become less available in the rush for condo/beach demand, the traditional life of the Sea Islands has become threatened by the pressure to accommodate the tourists, vacationers, and retirees. Scholars and lovers of the culture are recording that information for posterity. Though some of the old ways are no longer respected, there are others who value that history of survival and strength in the face of rough times.


This volume and its author hope to purvey some sense of the contributions of the Gullah Geechee, a marginalized group of people who maintained their cultural knowledge in difficult circumstances. Sharing the stories, dramatic presentations, material productions, social heritage and structures, and more is an attempt to shine a light on some remote corners of the history and culture of the area and its vibrant people.


Dr. Mary Twining provides a humanistic approach to the role of women, the black aesthetic presented within the narratives of the people, and the peopleis philosophy of living their black experience in America. A wonderful, profound, and educational read, Sea Island Heritage reminded me of the behaviors, proverbs, and healing herbs that were a part of my growing up years. 

- Josephine Boyd Bradley, Professor of Africana Womenís and African-American Studies, Clark Atlanta University


Dr. Twining digs deep into her experience living among the Gullah of the Low Country of South Carolina to write this fascinating bookóa must read for anybody interested in Gullah studies.

- Alcione M. Amos, Museum Curator Smithsonian Institution Anacostia Community Museum


While thoroughly referencing the scholarship that precedes hers, Twining successfully opens the fourth dimension to the extant Sea Island heritage to reveal what is more commonly known in Africa and the African diaspora as its ‡se (a shay), the cosmic, creative energy powerfully manifest in the Sea Island cultures.

- Tina Dunkley