Gullah Heritage Trail Tours

The cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee community, the descendants of West and Central African slaves reflects in their traditions, art, and language.  These enslaved Africans worked along rice, indigo, and cotton plantations along the Sea Islands centuries ago and left behind a large community of people who continued to reside in the Southern Coast.

Here are nine remarkable Gullah Corridor descendants whose achievements in different fields helped shaped the legacy of this community:

Michelle Obama

We all know about First Lady Michelle Obama and wife of the 44th President of United States, Barrack Obama. Even though she became a role model for women and advocated for various social causes but her roots reveal that she was an African American living on the southern part of Chicago. Born to Fraser and Marian Robinson, she studied Sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. Later, she graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988. Her story reminds us how Gullah heritage persists quietly through generations and influences the society.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all times can also be remembered for a connection with Gullah Geechee culture. Even though he was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Wilmington in North Carolina, his family roots can be traced back southern coastal region that is part of Gullah Geechee Corridor. Today, the influence of the former basketball player spans beyond the court and serve as an inspiration to many people. Above all, his Gullah background adds another layer to his success story.

Jim Brown

One of the Gullah Corridor descendants and greatest football players of all time, Jim Brown and his athletic accomplishments are known to all. He led the Cleveland Browns to win the NFL title in 1964. However, post NFL, he was deeply devoted to African American community engagement and economic development. He also helped found Black Economic Union, a group that supported four hundred African American businesses from 1967-1974.

Joseph Hayne Rainey

Joseph Hayne Rainey from Georgetown in South Carolina was a formerly enslaved individual came to be known as the first Black person to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1870 to 1879. He was re-elected fur time and served the longest tenure in the house as any Black politician has during the Reconstruction Era. During his era in office, he remained devoted to civil rights legislation and fought for the interest of not only Blacks but also other minorities in California.

James Skivring Smith

Jame Skivring Smith was a native of Charleston in South Carolina who went on to become the Sixth President of United States from November 1871 to January 1872.

Robert Smalls

Robert Smalls who was once enslaved by a local planter in Beaufort, South Carolina managed to win freedom for himself as well as his family and quickly became a famous war hero. Later, he emerged as one of the prominent community leaders during the Reconstruction Era and served in state as well as national legislature.

 One of the Gullah Corridor descendants, Smalls was also an advocate for public education and a member of the First African Baptist Church in Beaufort, one of the several historical Black churches that became a center of political and social life during the Reconstruction Era.

Griffin Lotson

A historian, cultural preservationist and community leader from Crescent, Georgia, Lotson is a 7th-generation Gullah Geechee descendant. He serves (or served) in leadership roles for the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and leads the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, helping keep alive cultural traditions like the ring-shout.

Julie Dash

Julie Dash was among the first African American students who studied at UCLA Film School. Her directorial venture Daughters of the Dust became the first full-length film directed by an African American woman that could get a general theatrical release in the United States. The story of the film was a reflection of her father’s Gullah family who lived off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina.

Emory Campbell

Campbell is a historian, cultural advocate and chaired the Corridor Commission dedicated to Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. He has long worked to document, preserve and promote Gullah heritage to make sure that the narratives of the Sea Islands are not forgotten.

Conclusion

The Gullah Corridor is like a stream of culture flowing through the lives of descendants who shaped their identities in different fields. Each of these Gullah Corridor descendants listed here offers a unique way into that narrative. Step into the living story of the Gullah Geechee people with Gullah Heritage Trail Tours.

Experience the vibrant traditions, music, crafts, and history that continue to thrive along the South Carolina coast. Guided by native Gullah descendants, these tours offer an authentic glimpse into one of America’s most unique cultures. Visit  to plan your cultural journey now.