Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce and Vacation Guide to Beaufort County SC

Welcome to the BCBCC.org

We hope you find this site useful in planning your next vacation to Beaufort County. Beaufort County provides a rich experience for a cultural family vacation.

Tour an area that teaches your family about the Gullah Heritage and History, all while relaxing on the beach, playing golf (miniature or 18-holes), and being surrounded by some of the best shopping in the country (click here for more)

Relocation

Beaufort County is the fastest growing county in the state and has been recognized as one of the best places to retire by national publications such as Business Week. Many of our visitors return not only to vacation but also to relocate permanently, for a vacation home and/or a relocation of a business (click here for more)

You Tube

Sites of Beaufort S.C.

	Welcome Visitors! Welcome to Beaufort County, South Carolina, an area of diverse population, rich history and heritage, and subtle beauty. Located in the heart of South Carolina's lowcountry, Beaufort County provides an array of events, activities and attractions to help you enjoy your next vacation or other special event. We have everything for and about the African American experience! (click here for more)
	Gullah Today Interview with: Anita Singleton-Prather aka Aunt Pearlie Sue When Anita Singleton-Prather transforms to Aunt Pearlie Sue, her Gullah storytelling character, she takes you back to an era when folktales were part of the way of life each day. Her relatives told them to entertain each other and pass the time. The tales were passed down orally generation-to-generation. And now, Singleton-Prather, a native of the Sea Islands in Beaufort County, South Carolina, entertains audiences with those same stories, songs and traditions that flavored her life. (click here for more)
	Gullah Lifestyle African Americans from across the country are returning to their roots in the South, and South Carolina’s Treasured Coast is attracting many of them. South Carolina’s Treasured Coast – Hilton Head Island, Beaufort and Bluffton - host numerous family reunions throughout the year for local and visiting families. Natives of the area return to rekindle their roots and re-explore the Lowcountry, which is growing phenomenally. Visitors are attracted to pristine beaches, golf, resort lifestyle, history and the fascinating Gullah culture. We invite you to experience arts, culture, cuisine and more. Contact us to arrange a professional speaker or entertainer for your group visit. (click here for more)
	The Gullah History African American culture in Beaufort County, South Carolina is synonymous with Gullah culture. This fascinating Gullah culture evolved with the arrival of slaves to the South Carolina coastal islands. Forced to survive under difficult circumstances in an unfamiliar environment, slaves used the knowledge and language they brought with them from Africa. African dialect and customs were merged with European dialect and customs to form Gullah – a hybrid of the two. (click here for more)
	African American History African American history in the coastal Carolina area of Beaufort County, SC, can be traced back to slavery times when blacks were brought here to work rice and cotton fields. Generation after generation, African Americans have evolved and survived on the sea islands. From the earliest reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on St. Helena Island to the freedom experienced by former slaves at Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, African Americans have carved in place the historical landscape of the Lowcountry. Our history includes the Gullah culture, which emphasizes language, lifestyle and survival; farming and fishing to sustain the family; education, religion and even politics. Perhaps the most famous of all Lowcountry politicians is Robert Smalls, a U.S. Navy captain whose fame was "linked to his capture of the Confederate cotton steamer, the Planter." During the reconstruction era, Smalls gained wide respect as a South Carolina politician; he was elected to five terms in the United States Congress. (click here for more)
	Festivals and Events Follow us now on www.Twitter.com/BeaufortBlack for daily microblogging with news, connections, comments, reminders and links to details for these and many more current events. (cick here for more)
	African American Houses of Worship For a listing of historical African American Churches, request a FREE African American Visitors Guide for the Lowcountry. There are many other religious denominations in Beaufort County. For more information on houses of worship, check listings in our local yellow pages. (click here for more)
	Sample Itinerary - Hilton Head Island/Daufuskie Island After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely stroll or bike ride on the island's expansive beaches.Make a reservation with the Gullah Heritage Trail Tour to visit the island's African American communities and historical sites.Take in lunch at one of Hilton Head Island's fine eating establishments.Shop at De Gullah Creations, headquarters for Gullah artworks and collectibles.If it's February, participated in the annual Native Islander Gullah Celebration.Visit the Heritage Museum and do some research on your family roots.Spend the afternoon touring historic Daufuskie Island, tours are available through Calibogue Cruises, Outside Hilton Head and Adventure Cruises.Rent a golf cart and travel back in time while riding through the historic district where you can visit the First Union African Baptist Church, the Billie Burn Museum and the Daufuskie Gallery. (click here for more)
	Tours Ask us for customized planning for your visit anywhere in the beautiful low country of Beaufort County, South Carolina. BeaufortBlack@gmail.com Beaufort/St. Helena Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition offers "De Gullah Root Experience Tours," which are living history experiences that include the historic sites, music, folklore and craft traditions of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. Tours and workshops are led by "Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation" and other native Islanders and are done in Gullah/Geechee and in English. Tours begin from the International University of the Gullah/Geechee Nation on St. Helena Island. (843)838-1171 or GullGeeCo@aol.com. Advance reservations are required. http://.users.aol.com/queenmut/GullGeeCo.html bcbcc.org/modules/content/index.php (click here for more)
	Historical Landmarks Beaufort Arsenal Museum 713 Craven Street 843-525-7077 Early American artifacts, Civil War relics and other collections are housed in this arsenal-turned museum. Constructed in 1798, the arsenal first garrisoned an African American militia unit. After emancipation, it was the site of the first polling booths for newly freed African American slaves (click here for more)
	Heritage For a comprehensive listing of attractions, points of interest and historical information, request a FREE African American Visitors Guide for the Lowcountry. For assistance in planning your family, reunion or group visit, please contact us. BeaufortBlack@gmail.com When it comes to African-American heritage, the Lowcountry is filled with a rich spread of cultural activities for visitors, from business travelers to those dropping in to bond with relatives. Our area offers entertainment, festivals, golf and tennis, stretches of beach and deep-rooted history traced back over centuries. From Beaufort to Hilton Head Island, you will find a number of activities to pass your time. Nearby, Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., also have much to offer African Americans and visitors interested in learning of the African American experience while seeing the coastal area. (click here for more)
	Cultural Related Businesses Aunt Pearlie Sue 1-800-289-0758 www.matrixmedia.tv/matmed.htm Anita Singleton-Prather “Aunt Pearlie Sue” delights audiences with Gullah-flavored folktales, songs, skits and history passed down to her. Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce 801 Bladen St. 843-986-1102 www.bcbcc.org The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce represents a diverse group of businesses that provide professional services including finance, real estate, marketing, law and health/medicine; entertainment, culture, retail, landscaping, construction, personal care, catering/food and art. On the first Friday of each month, the chamber sponsors a networking reception. It hosts a business expo in November. (click here for more)
	Getting Here (click here for more)
	Beaufort County African American Heritage Timeline 1525 – First arrival. Spanish explorer Ayllon brings a few enslaved Africans to the South Carolina coast. The attempt to build a colony fails. Before the survivors leave, some Africans may have escaped and then intermarried with Native Americans in the area. 1730-39 – About 20,000 enslaved Africans are brought to the state. Enslaved people resist in a wide range of ways, from acting lazy, stupid, or breaking tools in order to minimize the work that is being forced upon them, to theft, running away, and even individual violent resistance. (click here for more)
	Coastal Map Hilton Head Island, Beaufort & Bluffton Located along South Carolina's coast and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lie three vacation destinations well-worth the trip. Hilton Head's beaches and world-class golf, Beaufort's historic landmarks and shopping, Daufuskie Island's rich African American history, & Bluffton's ecclectic arts community and old town charm are all included in South Carolina's Treasured Coast. (click here for more)