Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) has begun the year making history once again. Right after receiving the “Black Excellence Gullah/Geechee Gate Keeper Award” from the MLK Observance Committee of Bluffton and Hilton Head, she was sent a letter informing her that she will be amongst others nominated for the “American Climate Leadership Awards” that will be honored for their work in Washington, DC in March. These accolades stand as testimonies to the continued outstanding work that Queen Quet is doing on behalf of her community on the Sea Island coast.
Queen Quet, who coined the phrase, “The Art-ivist” to describe herself, has taken the Gullah/Geechee culture of the Sea Islands to all fifty states in the United States and around the world via her “Gullah/Geechee histo-musical presentations.” She will return to the highways, byways, and skyways sharing her culture via four new books that she has released in the space of two months. During December she released a Gullah/Geechee novel duet which contains two Gullah/Geechee novels that focus on intergenerational learning and environmental issues. “We Journey” and “Gwine Home” are already receiving outstanding reviews from those that were the first to obtain their copies at the release party at Barnes and Noble in December or via www.GullahGeechee.biz.
Queen Quet did not stop with releasing her first novels, she has authored 15 books now that she also holds copies of her first two children’s books. “The Sandman’s Daughter” is a collaboration with new author, Robin Carter. The book is about a multi-cultural magical journey to the Sea Island shore with Gullah/Geechees and one of the loggerhead turtles that teams of residents on the islands work to protect annually. The book was illustrated by Al Hawkins who was on the production team for the documentary, “The Will to Survive: The Story of the Gullah/Geechee Nation.” Queen Quet let her online followers know how this book will help them learn more about the Sea Island coast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK5CFCI0Kbk
To launch the Black History Month Celebration, Queen Quet who was honored as a living legend by the founders of Black History Month, the Association for the Study of African American Life and Culture (ASALH) many years ago, released “Goody Goodie: A Gullah/Geechee Tale.””Goody Goodie” was written by Queen Quet and illustrated by Gullah/Geechee artist, Quadré Stuckey of Quad Designs (www.QuadDesigns.net). The two of them made sure that their online community was part of this release celebration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpcfv_x2eVE
This Gullah/Geechee dynamic duo will be on tour together over the coming months. During Black History Month, they will present and sign copies of their new book at “De Artistry of Gullah/Geechee” at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Georgia on February 22nd from Noon to 3 pm. The following Saturday, February 29, they will close out the month at “Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at the Gullah Museum” in Georgetown, SC from Noon to 3 pm. Tickets can be obtained for these events via these links:
De Artistry of Gullah/Geechee: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/de-artistry-of-gullahgeechee-tickets-87235717379
Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at De Gullah Museum: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gullahgeechee-famlee-day-at-de-gullah-museum-een-georgetown-tickets-87239027279
Queen Quet is encouraging everyone “fa jayn me pun disya Gullah/Geechee journey fa yeddi mo bout who webe” as she shares the words from the pages that she has scribed. Make sure to gather your family and head out to these events in celebration of Black history with a person that is not only a living legend, but is leaving a rich Gullah/Geechee legacy in celebration of literacy.
Beaufort County Historical Resources Consortium 