"Daufuskie Island: Preserving a Family Home and Protecting a Gullah-Geechee Legacy"

Historic Savannah Foundation will feature acclaimed Gullah-Geechee chef, culinary historian, and Daufuskie Island, S.C. native Sallie Ann Robinson as its January guest speaker. Robinson will deliver an informative and inspiring lecture titled "Daufuskie Island: Preserving a Family Home and Protecting a Gullah-Geechee Legacy" as part of the Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, "The People, Places and Stories that Define Savannah."

Located off the coast of South Carolina, Daufuskie Island, which is accessible only by boat, has a rich history tied to the Gullah-Geechee community, descendants of enslaved Africans who worked the land throughout the Lowcountry, as well as freed people who inhabited the island for generations thereafter. The island was once home to a thriving Gullah community, but today, only a few native residents remain. Robinson is a sixth-generation Gullah native who was born on Daufuskie Island in 1958.

After some time away, Robinson returned to her ancestral home with the goal of restoring it to preserve and share the history of her community. The house, which is located in a remote, rural area, was inhabited by generations of her family. By preserving it, Robinson intends to honor the home's vital stories and share them with future generations, which she accomplishes through daily tours and culinary history programs.

A lauded Gullah-Geechee chef and culinary historian, Robinson is currently working on a memoir about her life growing up on Daufuskie Island. She attended Daufuskie Island's Mary Fields School and was featured as the character "Ethel" in her teacher Pat Conroy's 1972 memoir, "The Water is Wide." She relocated to Savannah, Ga., to attend Bartlett Middle School and returned to South Carolina for high school, graduating from H.E. McCracken High School in 1975.