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GULLAH GEECHEE HERITAGE IN THE GOLDEN ISLES (PAPERBACK)
GULLAH GEECHEE HERITAGE IN THE GOLDEN ISLES (PAPERBACK)
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Woven Wicker Rattan Wall Decor, Round Seagrass Boho Kitchen Decor, Minimalist Rattan Chargers & Placemats for Dining Table & Wall Art, Rattan Wall Decorative Basket
Gullah Spirituals – by Eric Sean Crawford (Paperback)
Gullah Spirituals – by Eric Sean Crawford (Paperback)
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Kouboo 1110141 Manhattan 2-Tier Console, Natural Rattan End Table, Brown
GULLAH CULTURE IN AMERICA (PAPERBACK)
GULLAH CULTURE IN AMERICA (PAPERBACK)
Handmade Gullah Sweetgrass Drink Coasters . Traditional Hand Crafted Folk Art . Natural Woven Home Decor . Made in the USA
Handmade Gullah Sweetgrass Drink Coasters . Traditional Hand Crafted Folk Art . Natural Woven Home Decor . Made in the USA
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
‘Inspirations’ Sheer Scarf by Jonathan Green
‘Inspirations’ Sheer Scarf by Jonathan Green
G IS FOR GULLAH
G IS FOR GULLAH
GULLAH DAYS: HILTON HEAD ISLANDERS BEFORE THE BRIDGE 1861-1956
GULLAH DAYS: HILTON HEAD ISLANDERS BEFORE THE BRIDGE 1861-1956
Set of 4 Natalya Ikat Stripe Placemats Gray – Ballard Designs
Set of 4 Natalya Ikat Stripe Placemats Gray – Ballard Designs
GULLAH NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (HARDCOVER)
GULLAH NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (HARDCOVER)
Woven Bamboo Placemats, Set of 4 By Anthropologie in Blue Size SET OF 4
Woven Bamboo Placemats, Set of 4 By Anthropologie in Blue Size SET OF 4
Suzanne Kasler Greek Key Sham – Ballard Designs
Suzanne Kasler Greek Key Sham – Ballard Designs
Goddesses by Synthia SAINT JAMES Canvas Wall Art 3 Piece
Goddesses by Synthia SAINT JAMES Canvas Wall Art 3 Piece
Willow Row Multi Colored Ceramic Coastal Decorative Jar – Set of 2
Willow Row Multi Colored Ceramic Coastal Decorative Jar – Set of 2
MASTER PIECE JOOK JOINT GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
MASTER PIECE JOOK JOINT GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
Sweetgrass Kite Earring
Sweetgrass Kite Earring
Yaheetech Set of 2 Weave Arm Chair Mid-Century Metal Dining Chair Y-Shaped Backrest Hemp Seat, Black
Yaheetech Set of 2 Weave Arm Chair Mid-Century Metal Dining Chair Y-Shaped Backrest Hemp Seat, Black
GROWING UP GULLAH IN THE LOWCOUNTRY (PAPERBACK)
GROWING UP GULLAH IN THE LOWCOUNTRY (PAPERBACK)
MASTER PIECE GATHERING GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 30X40
MASTER PIECE GATHERING GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 30X40
Set of 4 Woven Striped Placemats – Frontgate
Set of 4 Woven Striped Placemats – Frontgate
35″” x 35″” Juneteenth by Synthia Saint James Canvas Art Print – Masterpiece Art Gallery
35″” x 35″” Juneteenth by Synthia Saint James Canvas Art Print – Masterpiece Art Gallery
Lowcountry Rice Culture Note Cards
Lowcountry Rice Culture Note Cards
Mud Pie Rattan Serving Utensils
Mud Pie Rattan Serving Utensils
THE JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE: MAKING GULLAH: A HISTORY OF SAPELO ISLANDERS, RACE, AND THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION (PAPERBACK)
THE JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE: MAKING GULLAH: A HISTORY OF SAPELO ISLANDERS, RACE, AND THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION (PAPERBACK)
Quilted Patchwork Cotton Throw Blanket – Indigo Blue Shibori Dye Indian Decorative Super Soft & Warm Blanket for Sofa and Couch 50 x 60 Inches
Quilted Patchwork Cotton Throw Blanket – Indigo Blue Shibori Dye Indian Decorative Super Soft & Warm Blanket for Sofa and Couch 50 x 60 Inches
Estaugh Ikat Black/Gray Indoor / Outdoor Area Rug Union Rustic Rug Size: Rectangle 8′ x 11′
Estaugh Ikat Black/Gray Indoor / Outdoor Area Rug Union Rustic Rug Size: Rectangle 8′ x 11′
ColorBird Stripe Tassel Tablecloth Cotton Linen Dust-Proof Table Cover for Kitchen Dinning Tabletop Decoration (Rectangle/Oblong, 55 x 120Inch, Blue)
ColorBird Stripe Tassel Tablecloth Cotton Linen Dust-Proof Table Cover for Kitchen Dinning Tabletop Decoration (Rectangle/Oblong, 55 x 120Inch, Blue)
RING SHOUT GULLAH ISLANDS – UNFRAMED PRINT ON CANVAS WORLD MENAGERIE
RING SHOUT GULLAH ISLANDS – UNFRAMED PRINT ON CANVAS WORLD MENAGERIE
GULLAH CUISINE: BY LAND AND BY SEA
GULLAH CUISINE: BY LAND AND BY SEA
TALKING TO THE DEAD : RELIGION, MUSIC, AND LIVED MEMORY AMONG GULLAH/GEECHEE WOMEN
TALKING TO THE DEAD : RELIGION, MUSIC, AND LIVED MEMORY AMONG GULLAH/GEECHEE WOMEN
Doric Upholstered Wingback Arm Chair Red Barrel Studio Body Fabric: Skylar Antique Blue
Doric Upholstered Wingback Arm Chair Red Barrel Studio Body Fabric: Skylar Antique Blue
Lenox Watercolor Horizons Microwave Safe Blue 12-Pc. Dinnerware Set, Service for 4, Created for Macy’s
Lenox Watercolor Horizons Microwave Safe Blue 12-Pc. Dinnerware Set, Service for 4, Created for Macy’s
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BLACK BORDER : GULLAH STORIES OF THE CAROLINA COAST
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MASTER PIECE LESSONS GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
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GULLAH HOME COOKING THE DAUFUSKIE WAY: SMOKIN’ JOE BUTTER BEANS, OL’ ‘FUSKIE FRIED CRAB RICE, STICKY-BUSH BLACKBERRY DUMPLING, AND OTHER SEA ISLAND FAVORITES (PAPERBACK)
35″ X 35″ GULLAH GEECHEE CONJURE WOMAN BY SYNTHIA SAINT JAMES CANVAS ART PRINT – MASTERPIECE ART GALLERY
35″ X 35″ GULLAH GEECHEE CONJURE WOMAN BY SYNTHIA SAINT JAMES CANVAS ART PRINT – MASTERPIECE ART GALLERY
Drew Rose Designs Ceramic Woven Trim Planter
Drew Rose Designs Ceramic Woven Trim Planter
carol&frank Josie Indigo Pillow
carol&frank Josie Indigo Pillow
Whitewash Wood Draped Bead 4 Light Chandelier by World Market
Whitewash Wood Draped Bead 4 Light Chandelier by World Market
MY KIND OF NET ART PRINT BY GULLAH LIVING SERIES BY SAMANTHA CLAAR – X-LARGE
MY KIND OF NET ART PRINT BY GULLAH LIVING SERIES BY SAMANTHA CLAAR – X-LARGE
AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE IN THE GEORGIA LOWCOUNTRY: THE ATLANTIC WORLD AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE (RACE IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD, 1700–1900 SER.)
AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE IN THE GEORGIA LOWCOUNTRY: THE ATLANTIC WORLD AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE (RACE IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD, 1700–1900 SER.)
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GULLAH IMAGES: THE ART OF JONATHAN GREEN
Safavieh Noely Coastal Writing Desk
Safavieh Noely Coastal Writing Desk
Arthur Court Designs Sea Horse Twisted Seagrass Placemats – set of 4
Arthur Court Designs Sea Horse Twisted Seagrass Placemats – set of 4
‘Southern Imagery’ Notecards by Jonathan Green
‘Southern Imagery’ Notecards by Jonathan Green
Stratton Home Reddish Brown Tulum Woven Lantern Stand
Stratton Home Reddish Brown Tulum Woven Lantern Stand
Gullah Spirit: The Art of Jonathan Green
Gullah Spirit: The Art of Jonathan Green
MASTER PIECE CHASING SENSE GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
MASTER PIECE CHASING SENSE GULLAH ISLANDS WALL ART, 35X35
‘Inspirations’ Note Cards by Jonathan Green
‘Inspirations’ Note Cards by Jonathan Green
MAMA DOONK’S GULLAH RECIPES (PAPERBACK)
MAMA DOONK’S GULLAH RECIPES (PAPERBACK)
Finnhomy Sideboard Buffet Cabinet, Kitchen Storage Cabinet with Rattan Decorated Doors
Finnhomy Sideboard Buffet Cabinet, Kitchen Storage Cabinet with Rattan Decorated Doors
Asheville’s Appalachian Food Culture
Family Travel Guide to Asheville
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Junteenth Family Travels
Asheville’s Appalachian Food Culture
Family Travel Guide to Asheville
Celebrating Asheville’s Appalachian Folklife and Unique Culture
Black Heritage Travel in the Outer Banks
Junteenth Family Travels
Asheville’s Appalachian Food Culture
Family Travel Guide to Asheville
Celebrating Asheville’s Appalachian Folklife and Unique Culture
Black Heritage Travel in the Outer Banks
Junteenth Family Travels

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HBCUs and Black Farmers Forge a Revitalized Relationship

HBCUs and Black Farmers Forge a Revitalized Relationship

The first historically black institution of higher learning began with the last wishes and money of a man born on a plantation in the West Indies, Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist who willed $10,000 to design and establish a school to educate people of African descent. He wrote, “to instruct the descendants of the African Race in school learning, in the various branches of the mechanic Arts, trades and Agriculture, in order to prepare and fit and qualify them to act as teachers….” African Institute was founded in 1837 and established on a farm several miles outside of Philadelphia. Its current name is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and it rests on farm land donated by the Cheyney family. The First HBCU no longer focuses on trades and agriculture. While some of the university’s students are possibly children of farmers, it no longer produces farmers or offers an agriculture track. 

It only makes sense. Farms in that area are now suburbs and small municipalities no longer dependent on agrarian culture. Farming, for most African Americans, is less desirable as a vocation. Cheyney graduates teachers, scientists and corporate business leaders. 

VSU

Most HBCUs or land-grant institutions were founded to educate the children of the formerly enslaved, sharecroppers and black farmers. Of the 100-plus HBCUs remaining, 19 have agriculture programs, and all but one (Delaware State) are located in the South near black farmers and black farming communities. These 19 HBCUs are classified as 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, because they were founded between 1866 and 1912. Agriculture is at the center of their academic and social missions. All 19 participate in the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s 1890 Land-Grant Program that provides funding to support research, facilities improvement, scholarships, extension programs with operational funding for black farmers, and centers of excellence at each institution. 

The mission of the 1890 program is not too far removed from the mission of Cheyney and most other land-grant institutions at their founding, which was to ensure that freed Africans and African Americans would have the tools needed to survive and thrive in agrarian communities. The chief difference between then and now is 1890 institutions will draw on the brain trust of faculty and students from a broader scope of academic disciplines, and use their training and intellect to improve the plight of black farmers, economically and scientifically, in rural and urban areas. Each 1890 HBCU is required to create programs that benefit small farmers, including agriculture entrepreneurship models. 

VSU Cooperative Extension

Virginia State University created the 43560 Project, an initiative that endeavored to make a dollar off of the 43,560 square feet in an acre of land. VSU’s innovation could prove important to both rural black farmers and urban farmers.

Kentucky State Aquaculture Garden

According to the Huffington Post, “Agribusiness development at these schools isn’t limited to the farm. At Kentucky State University, faculty and students in its College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems are working to enhance the region’s organic food output through aquaponics, a system where fish and vegetables are harvested together in an environment where both elements support the healthy growth of the other.”

Microcosm Tanks Kentucky State University

1890 institutions are generating collaborative programs that are similar to the cooperatives forged by George Washington Carver’s at Tuskegee (an 1890 university). His work was great and the standard in many ways. The work of 1890 institutions will possibly have the same impact with a broader reach from rural farmlands to the front yards and rooftops of an urban neighborhoods. The new relationship between black farmers and HBCUs includes job creation, technological advancement, and ways for people to eat well and healthier.  

George Washington Carver in Lab at Tuskegee 1938

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Robin Caldwell

Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and a public historian and researcher focusing on Black culinary traditions and foodways.

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Robin Caldwell

Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and a public historian and researcher focusing on Black culinary traditions and foodways.

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1 Comment

  1. January 7, 2020 / 10:43 pm

    My friend Stacey Ferguson passed this along because she knew I would really appreciate this article. I have spent some time with several farmers of color over the years, often the 1890s schools are part of their path. Such a powerful force but we need more in this community. This year’s National Black Growers Council meeting included a talk by author Natalie Baszile. She gave us lots of inspiration and reminded us that while black farmers had done the lionshare of farming for years, the hard realities left many choosing other paths but agriculture is a path that could help communities build generational wealth…. Would love to see more discussing how to continue building the black community in this area. I look forward to featuring some black farmers in my new project — a podcast & website. In fact, there is a woman growing rice I’ve already talked to about doing an interview!

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