Jacksonville's Gullah Geechee History and Culture

Jacksonville is a city teeming with diversity and traditions. It’s home to many cultures, like those of the Gullah Geechee

The Gullah Geechee are descendants of those from central and west Africa who were enslaved and brought to the southeast coastal Atlantic area to work on rice, cotton and indigo plantations.

Currently, Jacksonville is home to one of the largest concentrations of Gullah Geechee descendants in the United States.

In 2006, the United States Congress created the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor along the coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, including Jacksonville. From historical sites and activities to soul-filled restaurants, learn the story of the Gullah Geechee people when you immerse yourself in their rich culture and heritage in Jacksonville.

Day 1

Once settled in, head over to Springfield, one of Jacksonville's oldest neighborhoods, for breakfast. 1 Foxy Lady Café is a specializing in non-traditional southern comfort food and Gullah Geechee dishes. The breakfast menu includes delicious sandwiches and gyros.

Visit the Ritz Theatre & Museum in the historic Lavilla neighborhood of Jacksonville to see a collection of sweetgrass baskets dating back to the 1980s from South Carolina. The art of sweetgrass basket weaving is a Gullah Geechee tradition and today the baskets are considered art and decoration. Historically, they were used for storing food and toting crops.

For lunch, visit Jacksonville's Northside and stop by Celestia's Coastal Cuisine. Celestia's Coastal Cuisine whips up a unique blend of Southern and coastal flavors. Known for its creative dishes, this restaurant serves an array of mouthwatering options, from fried shrimp and crab boils to hearty Southern sides.

After lunch, head to the Cosmo area of Jacksonville. This area was established after the Civil War by newly-freed Black families from coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina and became one of Jacksonville’s Gullah Geeche neighborhoods. One of the first members of the Cosmo community was Easter Bartley, who was born on Kingsley Plantation.

Visit Freedom Park to learn more about the history of the area. Freedom Park is Jacksonville’s first public area to recognize Gullah Geechee history and the existing community in the city.

The next stop on this itinerary is Strawberry Plantation/Clifton (Sammis) Cemetery. This historic cemetery is the Sammis Family Cemetery, who are descendants of Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley and her husband Zephaniah Kingsley, who owned Kingsley Plantation on the northside of Jacksonville.

Head to De Real Ting for some Caribbean food and vibes before heading back to the hotel.

Day 2

Head over to Riverside and eat breakfast at the Cool Moose Café. A black-owned business, the Cool Moose Café serves breakfast and lunch throughout the day. Enjoy an extensive menu including an assortment of fresh omelets, egg creations, pastries and more. For those who love to sleep in, breakfast is served all day long.

Head to the Northside of Jacksonville to learn about Gullah Geechee religion, traditions and archaeology at Kingsley Plantation. Artifacts found here illustrate how people blended faiths and practices from different regions in Africa. The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor commission officially recognizes Kingsley Plantation as a cultural site within the corridor.

Freedom Park

Have lunch at The Potters House Soul Food Bistro. The Soul Food Bistro was opened by The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship of Jacksonville, FL in 1998 and serves delicious soul food daily.

Head to the southern area of Jacksonville known as Mandarin. The area is on the east bank of the St. Johns River and was home to plantations worked by enslaved Gullah Geechee people in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, Gullah Geechee heritage can be found at Lofton’s Cemetery, the Maple Leaf National Historic Landmark and Duval County’s last standing one-room African-American school house, the 1898 St. Joseph’s Mission Schoolhouse for African-American Children at the Mandarin Museum.

Stop at Annie Ru’s Carryout and Catering, a southern cuisine, “taste of home," style restaurant on Jacksonville’s Westside for dinner.

After dinner, enjoy an evening of live jazz from some of Jacksonville’s best local talents at Breezy’s Jazz House.

Day 3

Head to the historic EastSide neighborhood, also called OutEast, for breakfast at The Avenue Grill, an all-day American joint serving breakfast, burgers & fried chicken in informal surroundings.

Explore the EastSide. Walk through Old City Cemetery, which includes “Freedmen’s Cemetery,” a burial ground for many of Jacksonville’s prominent African-American families. Dispersed throughout this part of the cemetery are the graves of 50 African-American veterans, commonly referred to as Buffalo Soldiers.

Have lunch at Zebo’s Crab Shack before departing Jacksonville. The garlic crabs are a must-try and is a dish that originated with the Gullah Geechee people.

Additional Gullah Geechee and Gullah Geechee-inspired restaurants to visit include Millers Soulfood Kitchen and Austin’s Soul Food Bistro.