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That event, cohosted again this year by African Ancestry Inc.—the world leader in tracing maternal and paternal lineages of African descent—brought together a panel of six local African American Brunswick County residents who, months ago, had voluntarily given their DNA samples to that firm for testing. Coordinated by NCRFI Advisory Board member Barbara Akinwole and her team of volunteers, the evening began with an insightful discussion about the science of genetic matching and African cultural heritage by guest speaker Dr. Gina Paige, cofounder and CEO of African Ancestry.
Paige later revealed the findings of each participant’s unique tests to the audience, naming the specific ethnic group or groups on the African continent and elsewhere each participant and their family members are connected to. The participants’ reflections on the significance of their new-found knowledge about their heritage, reactions ranging from joy to surprise, were both profound and moving. Topping off the evening, attendees enjoyed a savory classic, chicken gumbo-and-rice dish prepared by Catch Restaurant’s award-winning chef and Festival Culinarian Keith Rhodes.
The Gala
Event #3 was the fourth annual North Carolina Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Gala Dinner, held on Friday evening, March 1st at the Brunswick Center in Supply, The ample ballroom afforded the NCRFI to accommodate an even larger number of attendees this year. Despite that, this ticketed event and annual fundraiser shared a noteworthy similarity to its three preceding events: it was sold out
months in advance!
With an attendance nearing 200 guests from all over the area and the state, including several state and local representatives, the Gala was a smash success. As in previous years, it promised and delivered an exquisite, Gullah Geechee-inspired, four-course plated meal prepared and presented by Festival Culinarian Keith Rhodes and his extraordinary staff. It also featured a stirring performance of African- and Gullah Geechee-inspired music, dance, and drumming by dancer, choreographer, actor, and director Shea-Ra Nichi, and her group, Shea-Ra Nichi and The Cultural Ensemble.
Another highlight of the Gala was its silent auction, an important fundraising activity coordinated by NCRFI board member Charky Armstrong, that always yields an array of artworks, hand-crafted and curated items, and unique outdoor and cultural experience packages donated by Rice Festival vendors. One of the biggest surprises was the feverish bidding war that ensued for a single item--one of Brunswick County artist Amtul Badi’s “Original Black-Eyed Pea Dolls”—which sold for $250 to a Gala attendee and her husband who had traveled all the way from Raleigh to attend all of the Rice Festival’s events.
