Ain't You Got a Right to the Tree of Life?: The People of Johns Island South Carolina--Their Faces, Their Words, and Their Songs - Paperback

by Guy Carawan (Author), Candie Carawan (Author), Robert Yellin (Photographer)

Ain't You Got a Right to the Tree of Life? presents an oral, musical, and photographic record of the venerable Gullah culture in modern times. With roots stretching back to their slave forebears, the Johns Islanders and their folk traditions are a vital link between black Americans and their African and Caribbean ancestors.

Back Jacket

Ain't You Got a Right to the Tree of Life? presents an oral, musical, and photographic record of the venerable Gullah culture in modern times. With roots stretching back to their slave forebears, the Johns Islanders and their folk traditions are a vital link between black Americans and their African and Caribbean ancestors. When first published in 1966, this book conveyed islanders' trepidation and jubilation upon the arrival of the civil rights movement to their isolated home. In this edition, which is updated through the late 1980s, the stories and songs of an older day blend with the voices of an empowered younger generation determined to fight the overdevelopment of their land by resort builders.

Author Biography

Guy Carawan (Author)
GUY CARAWAN (1927-2015) was an educator, writer, musician, and collector who dedicated himself to preserving the culture of the South and fighting for the civil rights of its common people. He and his spouse, Candie Carawan, had a decades-long association with the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee. The Carawans served as consultants to the public television productions of "Eyes on the Prize" and "History of the Song 'We Shall Overcome.'" Their books include Ain't You Got a Right to the Tree of Life? (Georgia), We Shall Overcome, and Freedom Is a Constant Struggle.