Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Last Gullah Islands: An American Tale

I admire my ancestry and the beautiful resiliency of my community to turn hardships into pride, love, and even beauty. I am a small part of this country's history and its future. I am a Black & Puerto Rican woman, with roots and lineage stemming from the South, the North, and the Caribbean all at the same time. I share an understanding that I am a descendant of indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, and indigenous peoples from Africa who all shared a similar story of forcibly crossing the ocean to reach the coasts of Boriquen and what we now call “America”. My people survived incredible pain, trauma, and loss out of their own will. Generations later, my family and I can live and bring a legacy to my ancestors through simply existing. As much as it brings me to tears sometimes when I reflect on our history, I know I am not alone in this pain. I hate white supremacy and the way this country was built up, but I am also so grateful to be here despite it all– is that weird? 

I’m not patriotic, but I do love my Black American lineage. I was intrigued to find the Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Last Gullah Islands exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Someone very near and dear to my heart is a descendant of the Gullah Geechee peoples in North & South Carolina, and I have learned so much through him and his family.

I was excited to visit her show because what is more American than the Gullah Geechee people? I am so surprised that so many do not know about them despite how much they’ve contributed to this country.

My father is from Puerto Rico, and I learned a lot from him and my family, who are based in  Loiza. Loiza is a mostly Black area and probably the most African place you can visit on the island. It was a booming port for slaves crossing the Atlantic, where Africans were shipped to the island for sugar plantations and other uses of servitude. I found that this history was similar to the history of the Gullah Geechee, as they are descendants of formerly enslaved people; however, they acquired land from white plantation owners at the end of the Civil War, eventually acquiring the land.

The exhibition is beautifully designed, with black-and-white photographs layered on the walls. Jean Moutoussamy-Ashe, the photographer behind the masterpiece, is a photographer, activist, and scholar who creates photos and dialogues on the beauty & complexity of Black life within the Diaspora. She is also a notable AIDS activist.

In 1977, Jeanne made her way to the Sea Islands coasting Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina after spending several months in college overseas in West Africa. During her time in Africa, she would spend much of her time overlooking the ocean and thinking about how turbulent the journey must have been for enslaved Africans on their way to America. Many Africans came from the Cape Coast Castle, which was used as a prison and port to be sent to the Americas. Imagine that, your blood and kin kidnapped, tortured, beaten & raped, then impriosoned and forced to be on boat for who knows how long, across an ocean to a foreign land. Many of our people did not make the trip.

When Jeanne made her way back to America, she spent much of her time on Daufuskie (D’awfaskee) Island, the only South Carolina Sea Island unconnected to the mainland by bridge. The uneasy access allowed the Gullah Geechee to keep hold of their language, culture, and customs for much of the twentieth century. D’awfaskee originates from the Muskogeon word “sharp feather,” which notes the island's tapered shape. In the early sixteenth century, the Spanish & English found themselves on the island, and by the eighteenth century, they began forcing out the indigenous Gusabo people. While they imported African enslaved peoples, many of the Gusabo fled to neighboring islands. The ensalved were led to work in the indigo and cotton industries while oyster beds fed the islanders' bellies. By the conclusion of the Civil War, white plantation owners were driven off the island by Union forces, and the land was acquired by the now freed “Gullah Geechee” people, no longer merely enslaved Africans but people who remained and cared for the island. The Gullah Geechee were able to create and build their customs, language, food, and culture.

During Jeanne’s time on Daufuskie, she developed a bond with the locals, capturing candid photos of children and elders, their homes, the shoreline, and even ceremonial gatherings like church services, graduations, and weddings. At the time of her arrival, only 80 permanent residents remained due to economic hardships caused by industrial pollution, destruction from the boll weevil ravaging their cotton crops, and real estate developers displacing locals to build resorts and hotels. This mirrors the experiences of my people in Puerto Rico, where many locals have also been forced to leave due to similar circumstances, including the surge of real estate developers and those who seek to extend their wealth on the island while avoiding taxes. The island is already so small, and its residents are already struggling, many of whom are burdened by the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and other natural disasters. However, like Puerto Rico and Daufuskie Island, the world's treasures and paradises are now being exploited as arenas for capitalism to monopolize, extort, and colonize, despite the presence of those who care for and nurture the land.

Jeanne’s photos are so beautiful. I particularly like Lavinia “Blossum” Robinson's photo. Her gorgeous smile and eyes speak to the hope and legacy of the Gullah Geechee. I learned Blossum was a matriarch of Daufuskie. Her face reminds me of my grandmother, Aida Lacen. They both have beautiful dark skin, and she sometimes wears her hair styled like Blossum’s in the picture. My grandmother is also the matriarch of my family now, which makes me even more proud to be her granddaughter.

I also enjoyed Jeanne’s photos titled “Graduation”, “Girl in Screen Door”, and “Maid in Honor with Bride in Slippers.” These images feel special to me as I feel represented by the emotions, symbolism, and attributes they evoke. 

Whitney’s Senior Curatorial Assistant, Kelly Long, organized this exhibition, which is open until May 2025. If you’re in the New York area, visit this incredibly historic and essential archive of America’s past, present, and future.

In greatness,

 Mars

References:
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, “An Oral History with Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe,” by Kalia Brooks, BOMB Magazine, September 11, 2014, https://bombmagazine.org/articles/2014/09/11/jeanne-moutoussamy-ashe/.