Beenyahs BEEN Magic: Re-imagining the South Carolina Lowcountry as a Portal for Africana and Indigenous Ways of Knowing

Presenter Information

Sara Makeba Daise, Independent

Event Type

Presentation

Location

EHFA 137

Start Date

6-3-2020 9:00 AM

End Date

6-3-2020 10:30 AM

Description

How might we re-imagine the South Carolina Lowcountry as an entry point or energy portal for the fusion of Africana (Gullah Geechee) and Indigenous identity, spirituality, and ways of knowing? An estimated 40-60% of enslaved Africans entered America through the Charleston, SC port. Their descendants' cultural continuity resulted in the evolution of Gullah Geechee culture. Prior to the violent colonization of North America, at least 29 distinct indigenous tribes lived and thrived in present-day South Carolina. The state currently recognizes eight tribes and three groups. As Barbara Holmes writes, "We accent the reality that we can access, but there are worlds beyond our reach. Today we need to reclaim the mystical legacy of Africana and indigenous people all over the world, whose intuitive ways of knowing inspire a broader spectrum of spiritual power." What wealth of knowledge can we uncover when we consider South Carolina—the second richest slave state in the nation, and the birthplace of the Secession- as a portal and convergence point of Africana and Indigenous knowledge, ways of being, magic, and possibility? In "Unapologetic: A Black, Queer and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements," Charlene Carruthers calls historians, activists, and organizers to center the stories of the most marginalized. In this case, interpreting the lived experiences of Africana and Indigenous people in South Carolina, through a Womanist/Black Feminist lens transforms ideas about The South and its capabilities

Comments

Theme: Magic, Mysticism, Afrofuturism, and Ways of Knowing; Moderator: Shari Orisich, Coastal Carolina University

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Mar 6th, 9:00 AM Mar 6th, 10:30 AM

Beenyahs BEEN Magic: Re-imagining the South Carolina Lowcountry as a Portal for Africana and Indigenous Ways of Knowing

EHFA 137

How might we re-imagine the South Carolina Lowcountry as an entry point or energy portal for the fusion of Africana (Gullah Geechee) and Indigenous identity, spirituality, and ways of knowing? An estimated 40-60% of enslaved Africans entered America through the Charleston, SC port. Their descendants' cultural continuity resulted in the evolution of Gullah Geechee culture. Prior to the violent colonization of North America, at least 29 distinct indigenous tribes lived and thrived in present-day South Carolina. The state currently recognizes eight tribes and three groups. As Barbara Holmes writes, "We accent the reality that we can access, but there are worlds beyond our reach. Today we need to reclaim the mystical legacy of Africana and indigenous people all over the world, whose intuitive ways of knowing inspire a broader spectrum of spiritual power." What wealth of knowledge can we uncover when we consider South Carolina—the second richest slave state in the nation, and the birthplace of the Secession- as a portal and convergence point of Africana and Indigenous knowledge, ways of being, magic, and possibility? In "Unapologetic: A Black, Queer and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements," Charlene Carruthers calls historians, activists, and organizers to center the stories of the most marginalized. In this case, interpreting the lived experiences of Africana and Indigenous people in South Carolina, through a Womanist/Black Feminist lens transforms ideas about The South and its capabilities