Making Gullah: A History of Sapelo Islanders, Race, and the American Imagination

Author:   Melissa Cooper
Publisher:   The University of North Carolina Press
ISBN:  

9781469632674


Pages:   320
Publication Date:   28 February 2017
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
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Making Gullah: A History of Sapelo Islanders, Race, and the American Imagination


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Overview

During the 1920s and 1930s, anthropologists and folklorists became obsessed with uncovering connections between African Americans and their African roots. At the same time, popular print media and artistic productions tapped the new appeal of black folk life, highlighting African-styled voodoo networks, positioning beating drums and blood sacrifices as essential elements of black folk culture. Inspired by this curious mix of influences, researchers converged on one site in particular, Sapelo Island, Georgia, to seek support for their theories about """"African survivals."""" The legacy of that body of research is the area's contemporary identification as a Gullah community and a set of broader notions about Gullah identity. This wide-ranging history upends a long tradition of scrutinizing the Low Country blacks of Sapelo Island by refocusing the observational lens on those who studied them. Cooper uses a wide variety of sources to unmask the connections between the rise of the social sciences, the voodoo craze during the interwar years, the black studies movement, and black land loss and land struggles in coastal black communities in the Low Country. What emerges is a fascinating examination of Gullah people's heritage, and how it was reimagined and transformed to serve vastly divergent ends over the decades.

Full Product Details

Author:   Melissa Cooper
Publisher:   The University of North Carolina Press
Imprint:   The University of North Carolina Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.649kg
ISBN:  

9781469632674


ISBN 10:   1469632675
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   28 February 2017
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

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Reviews

[An] incisive history. . . . Highlight[s] the land battles, bigotry, and poverty that beset the Gullah.'--The New Yorker


A unique contribution to the multitude of previous studies focusing on Gullah culture, skillfully highlighting the heritage of the Gullah people and unveiling the history of the prolific studies of African America's African connection through the lens of Sapelo Island, GA. Highly recommended--Choice [An] incisive history. . . . Highlight[s] the land battles, bigotry, and poverty that beset the Gullah.'--The New Yorker


Author Information

Melissa Cooper is assistant professor of Southern studies at the University of South Carolina.

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