JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The story of America’s History is also a story about Black History, and that includes the undeniable impact of the Gullah Geechee people. They have a rich legacy across our region and country, from the flavorful dishes we enjoy, to the winding marshes that define our coastline.
The Gullah Geechee are descendants of west and central Africans who were enslaved on coastal plantations from the Carolinas to northern Florida. They were sought out by their captors for their knowledge of rice farming, navigating tidal waterways, and surviving subtropical climates, which sustained the plantation economy.
“We were the labor that bult much of what this country has become. So without the Gullah Geechee community, there is no America” said Ennis Davis, an urban planner, historian, sixth-generation Gullah Geechee, and author of “Jacksonville’s Gullah Geechee History.”…