RAPTORS IN THE RICELANDS | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Date and Time
May 19, 2024 5:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
May 19, 2024 5:00 pm
14th & V
In the twenty-first century fictional community of Georgetown, SC, a story unfolds, revealing family secrets and conflicts that challenge cultural beliefs. With bighearted intention, newlyweds Florence and Chadwick Wineglass attempt to promote economic legacy, but their unconscious motives often ensnare those they assist. The Wineglasses become raptor-like in their generosity at a moment when other community members’ intentions also prove to be menacing.
Conveyed in four acts and with chapter names that follow the production stages of Carolina Gold Rice, Raptors in the Ricelands spans the future, the present, and the past, and fosters a message of connection with African diasporic communities around the globe. Historical accounts include the Orangeburg Massacre; Black church life, particularly in Oconee County, SC as begun during slavery; the launch of White supremacy in Fort Mill, SC; the Reconstruction Era; and Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Ron Daise is joining us on the Busboys stage to discuss his book and the legacy of the Gullah Geechee people in South Carolina. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Daise will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 5:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of RAPTORS IN THE RICELANDS will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Ron Daise a native of St. Helena Island, SC, is an author, performing artist, educator, and cultural interpreter. His performances, books, productions, and recordings about his lived experiences have documented and shaped Gullah Geechee heritage--language, storytelling, beliefs, and history--for decades. His accomplishments include creating cultural exhibits, events, interpretive programs, a weekly Gullah Geechee Program Series, school field trips, and the annual publication of a "Wha E Mean fa Be Gullah!" journal of third-grade student writings at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, SC, from which he retired in 2022. Daise also has received South Carolina's 2019 Governor's Distinctive Achievement Award, 1997 Folk Heritage Award, and 1996 The Order of the Palmetto.
Daise is known by many as “Mr. Ron” from “Gullah Gullah Island,” the Nick Jr. TV’s award-winning children’s program of the 1990s, in which he co-starred with his wife Natalie and co-served as cultural consultant. The program’s launch followed the publication of Daise’s first book, Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage, Legacy of Freedmen on St. Helena Island, in 1986 and the Daises’ subsequent “Sea Island Montage” performance, for which the couple performed the book’s contents of oral histories, stories, and songs.
A graduate of Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in Hampton, VA, with a BA degree in Mass Media Arts, Daise resides with his wife Natalie in Georgetown, SC, and they are parents of two adult children whose life’s work promotes cultural heritage and appreciation in new and innovative expressions.
