Topics Include Harriet Tubman and Gullah Culture
Beaufort History Museum will present two lectures that are part of the popular historical series co-sponsored with the Beaufort County Library. Both lectures take place at the Beaufort Branch Library located at 311 Scott Street. Admission is free but reservations are required and space is limited. To reserve a seat visit the Museum website at www.beauforthistorymuseum.com
The lectures are:
Tuesday, April 4 – 2 pm –
Harriet Tubman: A Glimpse into the Life of a Woman of Courage
Hear about Harriet Tubman’s (aka, Araminta Ross) life as a slave, her escape to freedom, and her work with the Underground Railroad. You’ll learn how she helped to liberate hundreds of Lowcountry slaves in the Combahee Raid during the Civil War and about her work after the war as a humanitarian, suffragette and friend to the indigent.
Lecturer: Andrea Allen, Beaufort History Museum Board Member
Andrea is a member of the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in downtown Beaufort, where she is a musician for the Senior Choir and serves as Sunday School Superintendent. She retired in 2015 from the Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center, as the Assistant Director for a five-county area, after serving 37 years in the SC Department of Mental Health. She joined the Board of Directors of the Beaufort History Museum in January 2016.
Thursday, April 20, 2017 – 2 pm – Gullah History and Culture
The lecture will cover the origin of the Gullah natives primarily located along the coastal areas of South Carolina and tell why they were concentrated in large numbers on various isolated islands such as Dafuskie, Johns Island, Kiawah, Port Royal and Wadmalaw. Saint Helena has the largest number of Gullah natives (6, 500) where a strong culture still exists. Learn about their arrival as slaves through the Port of Charleston, how they were dispersed throughout the state, how their labor contributed to the wealth of the Planters and what exactly happened to these natives after the “Big Gun Shoot” (The Battle of Port Royal Sound) on November 7, 1861.
Questions will be answered. How did they acquire the lands they now live on? What was the importance of the Praise Houses? How did the language develop? Discussion will include what makes up a culture and how is it expressed among the Gullahs. This is a lively presentation, which explains how their practices evolved into what is referred to as Gullah History and Culture.
Lecturer: Mary Rivers LeGree is a native of Saint Helena Island. Her early years were spent on the Rivers’ family compound among her parents and other relatives. She was educated in NYC and University of Detroit (BA). After retirement in 2004, Ms. LeGree returned to Saint Helena Island and lives on the property that had been purchased by her ancestors shortly after the Civil War. She is eager to share their untold history and their practices from a genuine perspective, having been brought up in the culture. She is a past Planning Commissioner for Saint Helena District, and serves as a member of the Saint Helena Community Preservation Committee.
Beaufort History Museum, located in the historic Arsenal, has evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16th Century until modern times. The Arsenal address is 713 Craven Street. BHM’s hours of operation are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Monday –Saturday.
The Beaufort County Library System is a free and accessible marketplace of ideas, information, and culture that fosters learning, community, and information literacy. The Library provides open and guided access to a wide variety of media and programs to inform, inspire, and empower all its patrons in their pursuit of lifelong learning, personal enrichment, and cultural understanding. The library system operates five branch libraries throughout Beaufort County and library cards are available free of charge to all county residents and property owners. It offers free access to millions of items through a combined online catalog and digital library.
The Beaufort District Collection (BDC) is the Library’s special local history and archives unit. BDC staff and docents are stewards who collect, protect and share a research collection of permanent value about local history, Gullah culture, the natural southeastern coastal environment, family history and archaeology. For the BDC’s hours of operation, please visit its website at beaufortcountylibrary.org