guh·lah gee·chee | proper noun | Culture & Heritage
The living culture, language and artistic tradition of African American communities along the coastal Southeast United States, from North Carolina through Florida. Descendants of enslaved Africans who maintained deep connections to West and Central African traditions, the Gullah Geechee people created a rich material culture of basket weaving, textile work, pottery and architecture that continues to influence Black home and craft today.
Origin: The word Gullah is believed to derive either from Angola, referencing the West African origins of many enslaved people in the region, or from the Gola people of present day Liberia and Sierra Leone. Geechee is thought to derive from the Ogeechee River in Georgia, a geographic marker of the community’s homeland.
Related Terms: Vernacular · Sweetgrass · Indigo
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