A holistic perspective is need to to learn about the Gullahs without the observer's beliefs interfering and causing judgment. The Gullah Geechee people’s way of living is believed to be the most authentic African-American culture. This is because of their geographical isolation and their strong community way of life. They were able to preserve their African culture heritage better than any other group of African Americans because if their did their forced slave labor in the morning and completed it, their were left alone and was able to practice their ways of life of how they would live in Africa. Things that the Gullahs value the most are religion, family, food, and language. These are the things that hold onto memories and balance the past with modernization. Complex culture change caused from industrialism and a transnational market economy is called modernization. These changes …show more content…
Many of the elders died, so this caused a drop in local population. Tourist and resort development are creating financial issues for the local Gullahs. The development are making the land so valuable that property taxes were so expensive that few Gullahs could afford to stay where their culture was made. The Gullah Geechee Sea Island Coalition was a group that fought to help keep the Gullahs’ culture alive. Their efforts encourage the United States Congress to pass the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor Act to fund the preserved the Gullahs’ history in 2006. This act stretches from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida. The Gullah also hold a yearly festival to celebrate their independence. They have started to record their history in formal ways. Currently, there is a Gullah Community Organization on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. Where this organization is located at was the first ever school for freed slaves in 1862. It is called Penn Center. There is an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum that showcases history information and photos of the Gullah people. This educational exhibit will help make sure the Gullahs’ past will be maintained for future generations to