The Legacy of Ibo Landing : Gullah Roots of African American Culture

Rating:
Summary: Read & Learn!
Review: "The Legacy of Ibo Landing: Gullah Roots of African American Culture," is an anthology edited by Marquetta Goodwine, dedicated to Gullah culture. The Gullah culture is a rich source of African history as it developed and transformed in the new world. "The Legacy of Ibo Landing" is one of those books that is surprising in its scope and depth. Reader's will find it to be a source that they will visit repeatedly because the information it contains is very diverse. This book is touching, compelling and enriching to the student of African American cultural history. It is a loving tribute and celebration of Gullah people of the Carolinas and Georgia. With its well-crafted collection of stories, fine art, recipes, maps, graphs and resources, "The Legacy of Ibo Landing" is one of the best practical sources for general readership published on this topic.

Rating:
Summary: Academically and personally stimulating
Review: I am currently finishing up a Master's degree on the subject of Gullah culture. The Legacy of Ibo Landing is an excellent source book for those with an interest in the African American culture of the Sea Islands. I highly recommend this book for academics and non-academics alike. I used it in an introductory course and the students expressed mixed feelings. Those who most enjoyed it sited the perspective of a Gullah person as the reason for their satisfaction (Marquetta Goodwine, the editor, does an excellent job of introducing the reader to the problem of cultural destruction Sea Islanders are presently facing due to development and tourism). Those who expressed dissatisfaction were somewhat intimidated by the use of Gullah language in many passages of the book. As someone who has invested several years in the study of Gullah I feel this book makes an excellent contribution and should be added to the collection of anyone interested in the African American past. It includes information for sociologists, medical anthropologists, linguists, and cooks; and the art from Jonathan Green is awesome! This book has something for everyone.