Celebrate Gullah heritage with free Saturday programs at Pinckney site

The National Park Service, in partnership with the Town of Mount Pleasant, is sponsoring a series of free cultural programs at Charles Pinckney National Historic site every Saturday at 2 p.m. during March.

Charles Pinckney, a principal author and signer of the United States Constitution, owned seven plantations. A remnant of his Lowcountry plantation, Snee Farm is preserved today as Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. Enslaved Africans and African Americans on Lowcountry plantations developed a unique culture known collectively today as “Gullah.” Gullah people made significant contributions not only to the plantation system but also to American culture in general.

These Gullah programs range from craft demonstrations such as quilting, cast-net making, wood-working and sweetgrass basket sewing to cooking, African drumming and story-telling, folk-tales, spirituals and other musical performances.

March 9

Lincoln Middle High School, steel drums

Carolyn “Jabulile’ White,” Sea Island storyteller

Vermelle & Andrew Rodrigues, quilting & toys

Vera Manigault, sweetgrass basket demonstration

March 16

Stall High School, steel drums

Anita Singleton-Prather, “Pearlie Sue” Gullah Tales

Elijah Ford, sweetgrass basket demonstration

March 23

Sharon and Frank Murray, rice production

Dorothy Montgomery, quilting

Vera Manigault, sweetgrass basket demonstration

Charles C. Williams, castnet making

March 30

Ann Caldwell and the Magnolia Singers, spirituals

William Rouse, sweetgrass basket demonstration

Jeanette Lee, sweetgrass basket demonstration

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, located at 1254 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Days. For more information, call 843-881-5516 or visit on the Web at http://www.nps.gov/chpi.