Sallie Ann Robinson is six generations deep on Daufuskie, a historically Black island in South Carolina. But today, the place that was once a beacon of Blackness is being whitewashed!
Daufuskie was home to hundreds of Gullah families who lived beautifully off the land, fishing and gardening in a tight-knit community where everyone looked out for each other.
Today, out of about 450 residents, only about 20 Gullah families remain. Robinson is working hard to preserve the culture, but housing developers and an influx of white residents overlook the Black community that once thrived there.
Many families left the island for opportunities elsewhere. Their former homes are deteriorating, and ancestral cemeteries are overgrowing and need maintenance. Sallie Ann Robinson is not about to watch her beloved history disappear.
She runs a non-profit offering authentic Gullah tours. The experience takes visitors to the home where Sallie was born, the church she grew up in, and other historic sites. Robinson never sugarcoats any truths about Black history or what’s happening now.
A portion of the tour proceeds help preserve the historic homes and cemeteries. To help save this Black history, you can donate here: https://bit.ly/3QrTbph.
Like Robinson, we should never stand by and let them erase our stories. We must do the work to preserve history because future generations deserve to know the truth about our people!