Arts | the space | Keyona Porshaa`
When I visited upstate New York as a young kid from North Carolina, my granddad Fred would call me Geechee after almost every time I spoke.
As a child, I didn’t think much of it, but in terms of my accent, I thought I couldn’t be that country. Furthermore, I’d never seen nor heard of anyone who was Geechee in my life, outside of my fictional friends from Gullah Gullah Island.
Gullah Gullah Island was a children's television series created in the early 1990s by husband and wife, Ron and Natalie Daise. It spotlighted an African American family unit of five with Geechee roots navigating life lessons and a rich cultural heritage on St. Helena Island in South Carolina.
Premiering on Nickelodeon Network on Oct. 24, 1994, Gullah Gullah Island entered our homes through television screens and quickly found ways into our hearts. The show was widely celebrated by communities of color for being a solid and vibrant representation of a positive family-centered unit that provided educational content and storytelling through music, dance, and language.
The groundbreaking original series gained critical acclaim from TV Guide Magazine, which named Gullah Gullah Island one of the 10 best children’s shows in 1996. Before its program concluded on April 7, 1998, Gullah Gullah Island also earned an Emmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Preschool Series category, two Parent’s Choice Awards, and two nominations for the NAACP Image Award.
Three decades later, Daise’s son and one of the stars of the original series, Simeon Daise, is honoring their legacy by spearheading a dramatic reimagining of the classic series, with a modern twist. In Gullah Gullah: The Portal Simeon and his family embark on new adventures, exploring the rich culture and heritage of the Gullah people. With a focus on family, identity, and cultural pride, this fresh take on a beloved favorite is perfect for longtime fans and a new generation of viewers.
He plans to bridge the platform originally intended to provide a safe space for young children and extend that safe space to adults who grew up on the program.
“The show was created by way of us just being us, and my parents just being them. They were cultural storytellers. To continue the legacy of authentic cultural representation is big,” Daise told FEMI Magazine. “ What Gullah Gullah Island represented was a safe space for a lot of kids. And now, as an adult, what does it look like to create a space for those adults?”
Daise has been earning notches on his acting resume since the success of the original series accompanied by experiences that can pour into the new direction. He has worked on the sets of hit shows like All American, American Soul, Cheaper By The Dozen 2, Queen Sugar, and Snowfall. However, for Gullah Gullah: The Portal, he is committed to preserving its authenticity that many of us remember by focusing on the connection to the land and ancestry.
“The land has always been a power source for the culture, providing healing, connection, and a sustainable lifestyle,” he explained.
Opmerkingen