<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1SRcuY_0wKmGb6C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1SRcuY_0wKmGb6C00" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>Author Neesha Powell-Ingabire on Gullah Geechee Futures </figcaption></figure> October is Gullah Geechee Heritage Month, which, as described by <a href="https://thegullahsociety.com/gullah-geechee-heritage-month/#:~:text=Gullah%20Geechee%20Heritage%20Month%2C%20celebrated%20every%20October%2C%20honors,of%20enslaved%20Africans%20on%20the%20Southeastern%20U.S.%20coast." rel="nofollow"> The Gullah Society, </a> “is an important time to honor and recognize the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee people, who are descendants of West and Central Africans enslaved on the coastal plantations of the Southeastern United States.” I had the pleasure of blurbing the recently released memoir by movement journalist Neesha Powell-Ingabire, <a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/featured-by-black-joy" rel="nofollow"> “Come By Here: A Memoir in Essays from Georgia’s Geechee Coast.” </a> So I invited Powell-Ingabire to chat with me about what it means to be from a place define by tragedy, recovering your roots and dreams of Geechee futures. <blockquote> I want liberation for my people. And so thinking about that, this this sense of resistance that I’ve always had, rebellion, I feel like I hope that that comes from my ancestry and Coastal Georgia. Neesha Powell-Ingabire </blockquote> I’m from Louisville, KY, where Breonna Taylor was unjustly murdered by the police. You’re from Brunswick, GA, where Ahmaud Arbery’s life was taken by white vigilantes. So we have this similar experience of being from a place that isn’t allotted much space in the national consciousness but was suddenly thrust into awareness by brutal, racist violence. How have you made sense of home for yourself, explained your hometown to others, while also grieving? What happened to Ahmaud? It felt like a surreal nightmare when I heard about it. Initially it happened in February 2020, but I didn’t learn about it until around April or May of 2020, that’s when it really started making national news. And then in May, the viral video of Ahmed actually being murdered came out. And only then were the three men who murdered him, only then were they arrested because of the corrupt police system in Glenn County. And it was really shocking to see that I was a classmate who had actually pulled the trigger. It was not surprising, however, I remembered him very well from high school. I remember him very well from my Spanish class. And I remember him being, you know, one of the white kids at school who we would call a redneck. Who was really into wearing the Confederate flag and wearing camouflage and kind of just like the kind of person. I would steer clear of because you kind of know what they’re about. So, when I saw his face when I saw his name, it was shocking. But it was not surprising. I’m like, “Oh, yeah, that kid.” I pretty much knew he was racist. And so this, all this all tracks. And it wasn’t surprising that it happened in Brunswick. What was it like to grow up in Brunswick? I feel like I didn’t think much about how racism impacted me, but I think I kind of always knew that Brunswick was considered kind of like a racist place kind of a backwards place, a country place, a place where, you would hear that, “Oh, you know this police officer is actually a KKK member“ and “My next door neighbor is a KKK member.” So yes, I knew racism existed. But it was like something that we that you didn’t really talk about in the open. Once Ahmad was murdered and it was international news, there was no way to hide that anymore. It’s out and it made me start thinking more about my experiences growing up and how racism might have played a role in those. It made me think about how I was always one of the only black kids in the in the gifted classes. It made me think about having white friends who said the n-word and I just kind of went along with it. It made me think about how we didn’t really have a Black mayor in Brunswick for a really, really long time despite it being a majority Black city. So yeah, I always knew racism existed in Brunswick, but it was always kind of hush hush. Black folks would talk about it among ourselves but we didn’t really talk about it publicly. But now? After Ahmad was murdered, it was like it was just out there. The dirty laundry was out there. It made me just look closer and think more deeply about. my experiences growing up there. In the second essay of his latest book, “The Message,” Ta-Nehisi Coates writes about beyond being from a place, being of that place. When I hear you talk about Brunswick, it sounds like you are from that place but do not feel of that place, does that make sense? It makes sense, and I think growing up, I felt… Originally when I wrote the book and when it was a thesis — it developed from my MFA thesis — a version of the book was called “Outsider.” […] I definitely did feel that sense of, “Do I really belong here?” Being autistic and not knowing it. Being Queer and, I think I started realizing that around middle school high school but feeling like I definitely could not be out. And being in majority white gifted classes and advanced classes and often being one of the only black kids there. There is definitely a sense of being an outsider living in Brunswick and that was a part of why I went off to college and didn’t look back for over a decade. Got away as far as I could, moved all the way to Seattle, WA. But I do think I am of Brunswick, however, especially like over the past few years. Doing a lot of research, going back more than ever, I do feel a part of it. I do feel learning all these stories about Black resistance and Black culture-keeping. I feel like that definitely runs through my veins. Especially that rebellion piece ‘cause I’ve always had this thing for justice, I feel like becoming an organizer and having these politics that are kind of like not extreme, but they’re just like, not the norm. They’re not centrist. I want liberation for my people. And so thinking about that, this this sense of resistance that I’ve always had, rebellion, I feel like I hope that that comes from my ancestry and Coastal Georgia. Yeah, definitely. And all of the, the different folklore. You know the story of Igbo Landing and how that got turned into the story of the Flying Africans. And then the story about the city of Darien, where my mom and my grandma are from, that city being cursed — that’s folklore. I’m like, I feel like there’s this lineage of storytellers in Coastal Georgia, and there’s definitely a sense of growing up feeling like an outsider, but then there’s also a lot of different ways where I can see ancestry, how it how it runs through my veins. <blockquote> I just feel like Black American folks were often told that we don’t have a culture and learning more about Gullah Geechee history and culture made me realize that I do have a culture. Neesha Powell-Ingabire </blockquote> Can we talk about reclaiming culture as it’s related to the concept of <a href="https://www.adinkrasymbols.org/symbols/sankofa/" rel="nofollow"> Sankofa </a> ? Despite what Rachel Dolezal might have you believe, it’s difficult to feel entitled to a culture whose history and rituals you were not raised up in. Yet you do this work throughout the journey of your book to learn ancestry that was taught to you. How has this growing understanding your roots changed both your present and your future? I feel like a lot of Black Americans can relate to this experience of growing up and not really knowing where you come from. In the book I mentioned in my Advanced U.S. history class and 11th grade, the teacher asking us to go around the room and say where you‘re from and this building a sense of embarrassment and shame when I can’t really say ’cause I don‘t know. All I know is my mom’s family has been in Coastal Georgia forever and my dad’s family has been in eastern North Carolina forever. Before that, I don’t know. I did do a 23andMe ancestry test, even though I regret it now, ’cause, I don‘t want them to have my DNA, but they do. I did get that ’cause, you know, just being so curious about, what are my roots? Very distinctly West African, right and I knew that much, already figured that much. But yeah, I think there was this sense of not knowing where I’m from, even though it’s not my fault, obviously. My people were stolen and brought here. I just feel like Black American folks were often told that we don’t have a culture and learning more about Gullah Geechee history and culture made me realize that I do have a culture. My family to this day, I don’t know if they will ever claim, having Gullah Geechee roots. But despite our family having lived in Gullah Geechee land for centuries, I don’t know if they’ll ever call themselves that. But someone told me at a conference, if you start identifying as that, your family just might follow. It gives you more of a sense of self to realize that, “Oh my goodness, my ancestors do have this very distinct, very special culture that is rooted in West Africa.” It’s empowering. I want everyone to know these stories. I want young and old, I want everyone to know this so they don’t have to build that sense of embarrassment or shame, and they can be a part of reclamation. How do you advise someone who may also be interested in reclaiming their roots but doesn’t want to be seen as an interloper go about gaining comfort in exploring their heritage? Start with talking to elders, especially the elders and their family. I think that’s so important because they’re not going to live forever and there’s so many things our elders don’t tell us or there’s little nuggets they tell us along the way and we don’t dig into it. And so I think it’s so important to talk to the elders in your family. And to record those stories. I think that’s super important. And just to be a student. Don’t. Don’t assume you know everything, but I think it’s OK to for folks like me with Geechee ancestry to seek out folks who are doing work to preserve that culture. And I think it’s important not to do it in like a transactional way. It’s really important to actually try to develop an authentic relationship with these folks. Don’t just go extract their knowledge. Actually try to build with them. Try to become a part of what they’re doing. I think that’s really, really important. Don’t be scared. You might get a no. I remember, I just randomly reached out to <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/03/meet-the-man-trying-to-save-the-dwindling-gullah-geechee-island-community-settled-by-his-enslaved-ancestors.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/03/meet-the-man-trying-to-save-the-dwindling-gullah-geechee-island-community-settled-by-his-enslaved-ancestors.html"> Maurice Bailey </a> , who is an activist on Sapelo [Island] and connected with him, and I’m so glad that I did. I’ve learned so much from him and I hope to continue supporting his organization, <a href="https://www.saveourlegacyourself.org/about" rel="nofollow"> Save Our Legacy Our Self </a> , forever. I don’t know if you saw like the recent tragedy that happened over there. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/7-dead-identified-georgia-island-gangway-collapse-celebratory-weekend-rcna176322" rel="nofollow"> The pier collapsing? </a> Yeah. And they we don’t really know what happened. It’s called a gangway, that was the part of the dock that collapsed, and apparently it was pretty new and I think it’s seven elders who died. They’re not from Sapelo, but most of them were Black elders from the area. Just knowing the story of Sapelo and how much they’ve gone through and how much neglect they’ve gone through and how people are trying to steal their land. And this just being another injustice they’re going to have to deal with now. And I feel like it’s very important for me to lift that up and I’m just glad that I’m connected with folks on Sapelo and I just want to be a part of helping them secure the justice that they want and that they need. Geechee culture is very reverential of the land and is at odds with our white supremacist patriarchal capitalist society. It is a culture under attack in many ways. Did this create a sense of urgency for you in reclaiming your heritage? Like if I don’t do this now this literally may not be possible a decade from now, or 15 years from now, and hopefully now that you’re a part of this fight, the more people that are part of this fight, the more likely it is that the culture will continue on. I think it is important that so many people are doing the work of reclaiming culture and digging into their Geechee ancestry right now. It’s a very important time, I remember talking to Maurice on Sapelo and him saying this is basically our last stand. There’s only so many of us left here. There’s only so much land left here that hasn’t been bought up by people trying to build vacation homes. It is very, very urgent and this is happening not just in Sapelo but all along the Gullah Coast folks trying to buy up this land and displace the Gullah Geechee folks from their land so they can build their vacation properties. Now is the time. I’m very glad that I’m able to contribute to people learning more about why what is happening is important: to resist displacement, to preserve the culture, to preserve the history. Even thinking about climate change. Like how much climate change is impacting Gullah Geechee communities, which are right along the coast. We don’t have much longer. We’ve seen what this hurricane season did. Climate change has been impacting, you know, the Gullah Geechee Coast for years, but it’s intensifying and it’s sad because it’s not Gullah folks who are creating the climate change. It’s the industries and the corporations who are driving it, but marginalized folks are the ones who are getting the brunt of it. And so there’s just so many different like crises happening right now. That right now, it does seem to be a very, very important time to be talking about what’s at stake if we don’t do the work of preserving history. And making sure there are Gullah Geechee futures. <blockquote> And in Gullah Geechee futures we’re learning about Gullah Geechee history and culture in schools. Neesha Powell-Ingabire </blockquote> What do Gullah Geechee futures look like for you? What do you dream of? That looks like Gullah Geechee folks being able to have clean air, clean water, fresh food and to be able to reclaim the practices of our ancestors. We don’t all have to become farmers and fishers, but if we want to, that should be accessible to us and I feel like there needs to be some kind of reparations for the land that has been stolen, for the health issues that have been caused from poisoning the water and the air. That’s what Gullah Geechee futures look like to me. And that people start learning about what being Gullah Geechee means. Really learning at a young age and that it is taught in schools. Actually, when I did the Freedomways Reporting fellowship at Press.On, there was a fellow, Aminata Traoré-Morris, and she did a forum in Hindsville, which is down in Liberty County — and I write about this in the book — and it’s around bringing Gullah Geechee history into Georgia schools. So she did a forum around that and she’s actually continued that forum and its annual now. And I just think that is a wonderful idea. ‘Cause I didn’t learn about it in K-12 and I should have and I think also in Georgia and along the Gulf Coast should be able to learn about that, even if that’s not your ancestry. It’s just such an important part of the history and I feel like it’s been intentionally buried and I think it would still learning about it would give folks of Gullah Geechee ancestry just so much pride and a sense of self. And in Gullah Geechee futures we’re learning about Gullah Geechee history and culture in schools. Interested in learning more about Gullah Geechee culture? Read more by Black Joy: <ul><li><a href="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2023/10/sweetgrass-basket-weaver-corey-alston-credits-gullah-geechee-foremothers-for-preserving-the-art-form.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="https://www.reckon.news/black-joy/2023/10/sweetgrass-basket-weaver-corey-alston-credits-gullah-geechee-foremothers-for-preserving-the-art-form.html"> Sweetgrass basket weaver Corey Alston credits Gullah Geechee ‘foremothers’ for preserving the art form </a></li><li><a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/03/meet-the-man-trying-to-save-the-dwindling-gullah-geechee-island-community-settled-by-his-enslaved-ancestors.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/03/meet-the-man-trying-to-save-the-dwindling-gullah-geechee-island-community-settled-by-his-enslaved-ancestors.html"> The Sapelo Island man trying to save the dwindling Gullah Geechee community, settled by his enslaved ancestors </a></li></ul></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Movement journalist Neesha Powell-Ingabire on saving Gullah Geechee Futures

Black Joy editory Minda Honey invited Neesha Powell-Ingabire, author of \"Come By Here: A Memoir in Essays from Georgia’s Geechee Coast,\" to chat about what it means to be from a place define by tragedy, recovering your roots and dreams of Geechee futures.

Black Joy editory Minda Honey invited Neesha Powell-Ingabire, author of "Come By Here: A Memoir in Essays from Georgia’s Geechee Coast," to chat about what it means to be from a place define by tragedy, recovering your roots and dreams of Geechee futures.