What in ee pot?

                                                         

                                       RED RICE in ee pot!

Who knew adding tomato paste to white rice a lil bacon and link sausage oh and occasionally shrump (you fancy huh?) would turn into such a delicious meal? I'll tell you who knew...geechee people knew!!! Stand up (in my Ludacris voice). It's funny when I explain it here in Cali they sum it up to Spanish rice. Well no disrespect to my Spanish brothers and sisters but uhhhhhh I ain neva tasted Spanish rice like disya. Oh and did I mention the steamer we have been known to swear by from the ace hardware sto'. Don't worry we'll pick that back up later.

Anyhoo, I can remember my granny Florence closing the kitchen door (yessss the original chasstun homes had doors to their kitchens) I would peek in and see that steamer going and that cast iron frying up that fush and she would shro in some string beans. Boi ya tawkin bout gud? Dasum gud eatin richea. All the seasonings blend together sooooo gud. Fortunately I come from a family where dey wus all great cooks! I guess you had to be because eat out food was not lunch or dinner it was a treat. Something you got every now & again. Like getting out of Ebenezer AME mid week church service late (because I stayed up in church) so you got church's chicken to go with ya leftovers. Oh shux where was I...that's right red rice! Anyway chile, that's still a staple in my household. Even tho' I never think it taste as gud as my elders and mi fush never fry up right but it mainly comes from mi heart...yassssssum the heart of a geechee gal

*there is a slight difference between me & mi elders. I exercise 30min a day as often as possible, no less than 3-4 days a week. Famous words of Trina Braxton "Keep it cute or put it on mute"

Story by, PT

Haint Blue: The REAL reason porches have blue ceilings.

The REAL reason  porches have blue ceilings.

In Gullah/Geechee tradition the color blue is used to keep evil
spirits away. The Gullah/Geechee call those evil spirits, Haints. The
practice was brought over from Africa during the slavery. The legend
of the Haint is they can't cross water, so because slaves couldn't
build motes around their houses, they would use a watery mixture of
blue around the openings of their homes. They hoped that the blue
mixture would confuse the Haints into thinking the paint was water.
During slavery, Haint Blue was made in pits, dug in the yard, using
limes, buttermilk, and indigo. The practice of using blue paint on houses still
goes on today, especially in the South. If you've traveled to places such as Charleston, SC or
Savannah, Ga you may have noticed that porch ceilings, shutters, and
the trim on houses are often blue. 

Picture Source: http://www.kitchenandresidentialdesign.com

Did Ya Know

Did Ya Knoh

Charleston's churches (specifically AME) has it's own clap? Yaaaaaas Lawd! Some of my fondest memories as a lil kid runnin' round Ebenezer AME was seeing the elders mach round da church with this rhythmic tribal clap. They also changed every gospel song into a soul capturing, emotional, spirit filled, rhythmic journey of a true African worship ceremony. Now as I got older and began listening to other styles of gospel music (especially in Cali. They don't know nothing bout what I'm talking about right now) I realized that the rhythm is very much connected to slavery, pain, tradition and ancestors that has transitioned on in victory and triumph. Yes. true worshup. However, rejoice because it keeps you connected to ya ruts heah! And lookya, the way the barritones, altos, dem 1st, 2nd and 3rd sopranos blend all together was a sound to be heard! See it came from somewhere only the soul could Feel. Now, if you don't have an eah for it then it sounds like an ol' chitlin circuit group (no disrespect). Liken it to the chain gangs. If you listen long enough you feel some kind of way hearing those men repetitive chants inbetween that hammer come smashing down. Sometimes here in SoCal I will begin a worship within a worship and do the 'Charleston clap' I was raised on--teeheehee. It keeps me close to home...

I want the younger generations and those who are non-geechee to grasp and understand the POWER in the clap. The elders held on to it because it spoke loudly about the way 'Africans now Americans' chose to worshup the God they were introduced to as JESUS! Like with food, language and movement the geechee people held on tight with their spiritual hands and created the closet thread to African culture here in the Carolinas. And I'm thankful for it! I know it's probably yet another dying tradition, but I lalalalaluv it! We have to start preserving our history geechee family. moregeechee@blogspot.com is adding to that. Another resource for ya. Lookya as our elders are transitioning we have to be able to hold on to God's unchanging clap! 

 Read more about it at

 reuters.com>go to news>charleston clap   (by Harriet Mcleod)

Posting by PT

Welcome to Carolima's

I had the pleasure of speaking with Sameka Jenkins about her business Carolima's. A catering company in the heart of Charleston, SC. She took the time out of her busy schedule to give us an interview about her business. If you are looking for a caterer in Charleston please visit http://www.carolimas.com/ I assure you, you will not be disappointed.
Please visit them at their location: 2931 Spruill Ave, Ste A, North Charleston. Lunch is served from 11-2, Wednesday-Friday
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Carolimas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolimaSC

1. How did you come up with your name? Actually a very dear friend of mine gave me the name. After months of deliberation I wasn't coming up with anything that had the "ring" to it I was looking for and she was saving this name for someone special and that someone happened to be me.
2. What services do you offer? Catering for large and small events as well as weekly lunch specials along with Personal Chef Service.
3.  What makes you different from all the other catering companies? I pride myself on great food served with class and distinction. I think it's ok to serve CaroLIMA Beans at a function but it's all in the presentation.
4. What are some of the Geechee and Gullah influences that you use in your dishes? The use of smoked meats as well as the soups are very much a part of the Gullah Culture. Smoked Neckbones and Okra Soup, Collards, etc are all a part of the Gullah culture.
5. What is your background and how did you progress to your present position? I've earned two degrees, worked at several different occupations, but I always came back to my love of cooking - the one thing I didn't go to school for which is very ironic to me.
6. Do you face opposition? In addition, how do you deal with them? The catering market in Charleston is very competitive so it requires a lot of perseverance. However, at the end of the day people love great food and good news travels fast.
7.  How has your company adjusted to the down economy? We offer budget friendly specials during the week. We also use more social media to aid in our marketing because it's more cost effective.
8.  What are some future goals for your company? We are currently sharing a commercial kitchen and I look forward to having our own kitchen so that we can be open additional hours for customers
9. What made you want to own your own business? I want to provide my daughter with a legacy. Besides that I want to be in control of my own destiny. While working in Corporate America there were days I would literally hold my breath because I didn't know if I would have a job the next day. Now, I'm in control of my own destiny.
10.  What's the one thing you have learned in life that has helped you in your business? Hard work pays off in the end. If you want something you just have to go after it because it's not easy. If it was, everybody would do it!

The Sweeter side of Grass Baskets

Design by Sarah Hammond 2012

Design by Sarah Hammond 2012

I am so blessed to have family members that believe in the geechee tradition and they are a wealth of information.  Take my Aunt Sarah Hammond.  A Master basket weaver...baaaaaaaaby she will lay a basket design owt!  So I zeroed in on some key questions to gather information to shar

PT:  Auntie what generation basket weaver are you?

SH:  I'm 4th generation, at least that's as far back as I know, it could go farther back.

PT:  How far back did basket weaving start on the Carolina shores?

SH:  O' shoot probably something we did before we entered into slavery, but sweetgrass I'm sure as early as the 1800's.  That's how we carried rice, fish, shrump, crab etc. 

PT:  How have you carried on the tradition within your own family

SH:  Both my girls Valeria & Kanya know how to weave baskets.  Also I have gone on to teach two of my grand daughters.  One is as young as 8 years old.

PT:  WOW!  Auntie eight?  That's wonderful.  I'm proud of mi cousins.  I definitely need to get that craft under my belt as well...(sigh then laughter)

SH:  Well I'm here when you are ready to learn!

PT:  Anyway back to you.  Is this a career or just side business?

SH:  Definitely not a career for me because I need steady money and in this economy baskets don't sell like dey usda.  However, after 30 years with the school district, in my retirement the extra money is really good when you do sell and the gratification of seeing people enjoying your work and seeing the beauty in your culture is so fulfilling.

PT:  Speaking of "people", who are you finding more interested and/or appreciative of weaved baskets?

SH:  Others. And when I say "others"  I am not speaking of black folks.  "Others" see them and you get the ooooos and ahhhhhs.  They want to know more about them and more times than not purchase them.  Black people half don't want to look your way, as if we (basket weavers) are going to pressure them into buying.  So not the case.  It saddens me that they seem the least interested in our culture.

PT:  Yea that's true Auntie, because when you came to SoCal for your basket weaving convention.  I was taken aback that there were NO African Americans in sight when it came to your class.  I met Canadians, Mid Westerners, Germans etc. but nooooo African Americans.  I guess it's a case of know better do better.  Maybe MoreGeechee.blogspot.com can start to change that.

PT:  Do you know how that can change?  Especially with the younger generation.

SH:  Yes.  When your generation do what your doing now and reconnect black Americans with black culture and the culture within the culture.  Whether you are a geechee or not this is still a very intricate part of black history.

PT:  What are some of the changes you have seen through the decades?

SH:  Well, when I was younger watching my mom weave on the side of the road, people bought baskets out of necessity.  They used them for storage.  Now they are mainly used for decorations.  That tickles me.

PT:  What I found amazing Auntie, was when I asked do you tag your baskets or do something specific so you know your design?  You said that "even if two basket weavers designed the same style basket...the EXACT same, a weaver always know her work.  There is never any confusion nor a mistake.  And if someone tries to steal 'em...Then there is trouble.  We take basket weaving very serious."

SH:  And that answer ain changed.  

PT:  One thing I love about Mt. Pleasant is seeing the basket stands along the highway as I'm driving to your home.

SH:  Yes ma'am the town of Mt. Pleasant built and/or restored all the stands.  I got mine built on my land for free!  So nice of Mt. Pleasant.  That's why I love my town.

PT:  Aunt Sarah I have seen some of THE most beuatiful, detailed baskets now that I'm checking for them more.  It must take you forever to do some of your designs.

SH:  Well lets just say you definitely have to have time to do a basket.  However, you get so good at them that you can easily meet deadlines and/or demands when needed. You have some that are easy and some that are not.  Just make sure they good!

PT:  Well Aunt Sarah you have answered all my questions, what else would you like America to know about basket weaving as it relates to the Geechee culture/people?

SH: Our traditions only die if we let it.  You don't want someone else to rediscover and profit and/or hone what is your God given gifts.  Ya know it seems as though every other race of people seem to hold on and show an appreciation of their culture so much more tightly than Black/Gullah people hold on to theirs. Gullah people really need to because our spirit and history is so close to African traditions and culture that to let it just die off would be a crying shame.  We have some but I would love to see grow.

Images provided by
Sarah Hammond, Mt. Pleasant
843-813-3086 contact for baskets.

Story by, PT

Who are the Geechee People?

The Gullah/Geechee people are the descendants of slaves, brought over
from West and Central Africa, that live in the coastal regions of
South Carolina, Georgia, portions of Florida, and North Carolina-known
to some as the Gullah corridor.  In Georgia there are sub- groups of
the Gullah/Geechee people, the Saltwater Geechees, and the Freshwater
Geechees. The Gullah/Geechee is one of the oldest surviving cultures
in the US. 

The Gullah/Geechee Corridor 

Picture Source: National Park Service 

 A brief history:

   During the eighteenth century, plantation owners in South Carolina
and Georgia wanted slaves who could grow rice in the humid subtropical
climate of the Sea Islands.  Due to the difficulty of growing
rice, and the fact that the slaves had some resistance to diseases, such
as malaria and yellow fever, the owners of the plantations paid higher
prices for slaves from Western Africa. West Africa is sometimes
referred to as the rice coast. The slave owners, who were susceptible
to yellow fever and malaria, mostly lived inland for most of the year,
while leaving the slaves on the Sea Islands, such as St. Simons
Island, St. Helena Island, Hilton Head Island, and Sapelo Island. When
the slaves were freed after the Civil War, many Gullah bought the land
on which they worked on and continued their agrarian way of life. This
would be their life for the next one hundred years. As time moved on,
the Gullah/Geechee people moved to the mainland, for example
Charleston, SC, and Savannah, Georgia, then on to other areas.

  The Sea Islands of South Carolina, and Georgia.

Picture source: Wikipedia

 The Language:

  The Africans, captured from Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and other
countries, were held together as they began to develop a pidgin
language. The language or dialect that the Gullah/Geechee people speak
is also referred to as Gullah, and/or Geechee. This language is the
blending of the pidgin language with English, spoken by the slave
masters, and over 4000 different African words, from many different
tribes. The Gullah language is heavily influenced by Sierra Leone
Krio.

There are several theories about where the word Gullah actually comes
from.  Some believe that the word Gullah came from Angola. Others
believe the word came from the tribe of Gola, which is near the border
of Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the Mende, and Vai territories come
together. Yet others believe that the word, "Gullah" could also draw
from Gallinas, which is another name for the Vai, or posibbly from
Galo, which is the Mende word for the Vai people.

Good ole Piggly Wiggly

image from http://www.pigglywiggly.com/

Ok Christopher Ibsen means nothing to the average Charlestonian but he was a great point of contact when I chose to do Piggly Wiggly as our spotlight business.  Why Piggly Wiggly you might ask?  Let's think about it...who in Charleston has never been in a Piggly Wiggly?  Let me start my beloved granny Florence, my great grandma Alice, my aunts, cousins...heck the chilly bear lady, shall I continue?  You get it.  Anyway, they have been proud customers of Piggly Wiggly since forever! I know definitely til mi grandma took ee last breath she was a long standing customer of Piggly Wiggly.  Piggly Wiggly employees knew my family by name.  How nice is that!  When  I was sent to the store on meeting street they ALWAYS had what I was looking for and I never heard complaints about bad food or poor customer service unlike my favorite episode of Good Times when James & Florida Evans got mad because their entire family got sick off spoiled meat at their local supermarket uuugggghhhhh!

Christopher Ibsen was extremely helpful, kind and courteous.  He made it plain that he was very familiar with the Gullah community in Charleston.  He wanted it to be known that he has worked in concert with QUEEN QUET, (the elected princess of the Gullah nation) on different projects including Gullah festivals and local events also  Piggly Wiggly is no stranger to being one of many sponsors for Gullah's various events.  That for me speaks volumes!  It's evident that being tightly knitted in the geechee community they know what our people, their customers want and need.

I asked him what makes Piggly Wiggly a continued staple in the community because let's face it with hurricanes, city improvements/changes we have seen businesses come and then goooooo.  Mr. Ibsen said "out of 600 stores 100 of them are in Charleston alone!" That lets you know how strong their ties are to the carolina shores. Oh and by the way, they opened the 1st Charleston  store in 1947 and they have never looked back! I got the sentiment that Piggly Wiggly's staying power is a faithful, loyal customer base and Mr. Ibsen expressed appreciation for that.

Let's keep it all the way real! It's nice to have neighborhood stores with employee faces that look like us, voices that sounds like ours and where geechee cuisines and ingredients are readily available.  Furthermore I personally remember as a young adult that the stores were always clean....BONUS!

Did you know...

Saunders' reason for choosing the intriguing name Piggly Wiggly ® remains a mystery; he was curiously reluctant to explain its origin. One story is that he saw from a train window several little pigs struggling to get under a fence, and the rhyming name occurred to him then. Someone once asked him why he had chosen such an unusual name for his organization, and Saunders' reply was, "So people will ask that very question." He wanted and found a name that would be talked about and remembered. Read more about the history of piggly wiggly at pigglywiggly.com

Mr. Ibsen showed great appreciation for their community efforts being recognized on moregeechee.blogspot.com

Story by PT

Welcome to More Geechee

What we are is so much more than what you see. We take our culture very seriously and we want to preserve it for our future. We have a voice and we want to use it to make you laugh, cry, think, get mad, find information, and come together. This blog provides all of the above and so much more. If you want to guest post on this blog or be featured feel free to contact us at moregeechee@gmail.com

We will also be promoting geechee businesses throughout the USA so if you have one and want to be on the blog or put an ad on the blog please contact us for info.