National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

![](media/image1.png){width="0.55in"
height="0.7027777777777777in"}Charles Pinckney

National Historic Site

1214 Middle Street

Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

843 881-5516 phone

843 881-7070 fax

Charles Pinckney News Release

Release date: Immediate

Contact(s): Michael Allen

Phone number: 843 881-5516 ext. 12

Date: October 23, 2007

**National Park Service invites the public to meet Gullah-Geechee
Cultural Heritage Corridor Commissioners**

> The National Park Service (NPS) and the State Historic Preservation
> Officers (SHPO) for the States of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and
> South Carolina are pleased to announce the establishment of the
> Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. A press
> conference will be held on Monday October 29, 2007 at 10:00 AM in the
> Mckinley Washington Auditorium located at the Avery Research Center
> for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston,
> 125 Bull Street, Charleston SC.
>
> The Secretary of Interior was charged with establishing the Commission
> to oversee development and management of the new Heritage Corridor.
> This Commission includes Four individuals nominated by the State
> Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) of South Carolina and two
> individuals each nominated by the SHPOs for Florida, Georgia and North
> Carolina.

+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > FL    | Glenda Simmons Jenkins                |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > FL    | William Jefferson                     |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > FL    | Ralph Johnson                         |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > GA    | Charles H. Hall                       |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > GA    | Amir Jamal Touré                      |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > GA    | Althea Natalga Sumpter                |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > GA    | Deborah L. Mack                       |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > NC    | Shirlean Spicer                       |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > NC    | Eulis Alexander Willis                |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > NC    | Lana Carter                           |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > SC    | Ronald Daise                          |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > SC    | Danny Cromer                          |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > SC    | Louise Miller Cohen                   |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > SC    | William Saunders                      |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > SC    | Veronica D. Gerald                    |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > SC    | Willie B. Heyward                     |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+

> Two individuals from South Carolina and one individual each from
> Florida, Georgia and North Carolina who are recognized experts in
> historic preservation, anthropology, and folklore were nominated by
> the National Park Service.

The cultural resource experts and alternates are:

+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > FL    | Antoinette T. Jackson                 |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > FL    | Anthony E. Dixon                      |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > GA    | Jeanne C. Cyriaque                    |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > NC    | John H. Haley                         |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > NC    | David B. Frank                        |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > SC    | Emory Shaw Campbell                   |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > SC    | J. Herman Blake                       |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Commissioner     | > SC    | Marqueta L. Goodwine                  |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+
| > Alternate        | > SC    | Nicole Green                          |
+--------------------+---------+---------------------------------------+

> The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (Heritage Corridor) was
> designated by Congress in September, 2006, to recognize the important
> contributions made to American culture and history by Africans and
> African-Americans who settled in coastal areas of Florida, Georgia,
> South Carolina and North Carolina. The Gullah/Geechee people represent
> the descendents of enslaved Africans from west and central Africa who
> were brought to these coastal areas to work plantations. The Heritage
> Corridor will preserve and interpret their unique language, arts and
> crafts, religious beliefs, folklore, rituals and foods.
>
> For additional information regarding this event or the Gullah Geechee
> Heritage Corridor Commission please call Michael Allen, Educational
> Specialist at the Charles Pinckney NHS at 843-881-5516 ext 12.

The Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, is located at 1254 Long
Point Road in Mount Pleasant, is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Days. For more
information, call 843-881-5516 or visit our Web site:

<http://www.nps.gov/chpi>

-NPS-