The Gullah Language Is Still Spoken — Here's Why It Matters

The Gullah language is an English-based creole with direct roots in West African languages like Mende, Twi, and Yoruba. It developed on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia during the transatlantic slave trade.

Today, only a few thousand fluent speakers remain. But there's a resurgence. Linguists, educators, and Gullah Geechee communities are working to preserve and teach the language to new generations.

Our Roots & Rivers encyclopedia documents Gullah language history county by county. Our podcast features native speakers. And our Substack shares language lessons and cultural context.

Learn Gullah language history →