About Gullah Voices

The Gullah Voices Curriculum exposes African American students to the vibrant Sea Island culture of coastal South Carolina, Georgia and Northern Florida. Students explore the history of the Gullah/Geechee corridor, including the Sierra Leone/Mende - Gullah connection, traditional basket weaving and music traditions like ring shouts, rowing songs and spirituals. Students explore the beautiful topographies of Sapelo, St. Helena and St. John’s Islands through the lens contemporary artists, like Jonathan Green and Leroy Campbell, as well as historical landmarks in Gullah cities like Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah. Students learn to sing ring shouts and spirituals in the tradition of the McIntosh County Shouters, and the Gullah/Geechee Shouters. Through sound recordings, study of Gullah language, art activities, documentary films, children’s books and mapping activities, African American children learn the rich legacy of this traditional African American culture.

This curriculum will be available for the 2022-2023 school year.
Each Ethnomusicology in Action Curriculum includes detailed teacher’s guides, step by step lesson plans, sheet music, printed and online children’s books with narration, online videos, downloadable music recordings, accompaniment tracks for performances and scholarly background readings for educators.