Florida’s Gullah Geechee Legacy
About this Event
Friday, October 2 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Presenter: Derek Hankerson, Filmmaker & Historian
Discover a Powerful Chapter of Florida’s History
This October, during Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Month, join filmmaker, historian, and cultural advocate Derek Hankerson for a fascinating look at Florida’s Gullah Geechee legacy—and the remarkable people, places, and stories that helped shape the state’s history.
The Gullah Geechee story reaches from the Sea Islands and coastal communities of the Carolinas into Florida, carrying generations of traditions, perseverance, faith, family, agriculture, and the pursuit of freedom. Hankerson has spent more than two decades researching and preserving this history, inspired in part by his own family connections to Gullah Geechee communities in South Carolina and Florida.
A Personal Connection to a Larger Story
Hankerson’s family history offers a unique window into Florida’s past. His great-great-grandfather, Rev. J. P. Hankerson, served with the Florida Freedmen’s Bureau during Reconstruction, while his great-grandfather, Rev. J. H. Hankerson, became one of Florida’s pioneering African American civic leaders. His grandmother also lived in historic Gullah Geechee communities in Florida, creating a family connection that spans generations and states.
Through his research, documentaries, teaching, and preservation efforts, Hankerson has helped bring greater recognition to Florida’s place within the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. His work contributed to the expansion of the federally recognized corridor to include St. Johns County and has explored the connections between Florida, South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Fort Mose, the Seminole experience, and the southern route to freedom.
See History Through a New Lens
Hankerson is also an accomplished filmmaker and educator. He wrote, narrated, produced, and directed the documentary Gullah Geechee Corridor & the East Coast Greenways, and has taught college-level courses on Florida’s Gullah Geechee history. His work extends beyond the classroom through historical documentaries, walking tours, film festivals, and advocacy for preserving and accurately interpreting African American history.
For this special October presentation, Hankerson will also share family photographs and images from his international travels to Portugal, Germany, and Ireland, where he conducted primary research connected to American history and the transatlantic slave trade and its connections to West Africans known as Gullah Geechee.
Come discover the people and stories behind Florida’s Gullah Geechee legacy—and explore how their history is an essential part of the larger American story.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 5.00 to USD 18.00
