Celebrate Black Foodways and Gullah Geechee Heritage at Penn Center on February 21

Penn Center is thrilled to welcome the community back for Harvesting Heritage: Gathering Ground on Saturday, February 21. This full-day event celebrates Black foodways, Gullah Geechee traditions, and Lowcountry heritage, offering something for everyone.

The FREE daytime program runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Click here to RSVP.

• 10:30 a.m. | Penn Center tour with John Kamara

  11:00 a.m. | Storytelling workshop, featuring Charleston poet laureate, Asiah Mae; author, public historian, and griot Sara Makeba Daise; and chef, food writer, and author of the upcoming cookbook, From the Roota to the Toota Amethyst Ganaway

  12:00 p.m. | Community writing workshop led by the Communal Pen, a collaborative effort led by the South Carolina Arts Commission, Athenaeum Press at Coastal Carolina, and SC Humanities.

  1:00 p.m. | Harvesting the Sea: A Study in St. Helena Island Oystering with Ed Atkins, Gullah Geechee fisherman, owner of Atkins Bait Shop, and founding member of the Gullah Geechee Fishing Association

  2:00 p.m. | Penn Center tour with John Kamara

  The ticketed evening program will highlight South Carolina’s Black foodways, Lowcountry land stewardship, and the legacy of Gullah Geechee food traditions. The evening will include a cocktail hour for early arrivals, a panel discussion, and a reception featuring a thoughtfully crafted menu of SC grown, harvested, and curated dishes, along with a specialty cocktail. Cost is $100. Drink ticket included 
  
  Evening Event Schedule:

  5:00 p.m. | Cocktail hour for early arrivals with a special presentation by mixologist Will Green

  6:00 p.m. | Evening program

  · Welcome and introductions with Dr. Ramon Jackson, SCSM Curator of Cultural History 

  · A poem by Asiah Mae, Charleston poet laureate

  . A libation ceremony by Sara Makeba Daise, griot, public historian, and author of Sankofa Shadow Work: Diaries of a Diasporic Diviner

  · A panel discussion with Chef Amethyst Ganaway, Chef William “Bubba” Green of St. Helena, Johnathan Sims of Sims Farms in Dorchester, and Dr. Najmah Thomas of Earth People Farms and the University of South Carolina Beaufort 

  7:00 p.m. | Reception

  · Oyster roast 

  · Curated menu by Chef Ganaway and prepared by Charlotte Jenkins and Kesha Jenkins, including okra soup, Carolina Gold rice, and mixed green salad with field peas

  · Desserts by Christina Miller of Bert and T’s Desserts

  . Music by Darryl “Deesaxplayer” Anderson 

  
  This event is hosted in collaboration with SC State Museum a Smithsonian affiliate.