Stimulated by initiator Amadu Massally’s visit to Hilton Head Island, SC, in January of 2006 the Sierra Leone-Gullah Heritage Association (SLGHA) was formed. Its main purpose is to maintain and enhance the connections between Sierra Leone and the Gullahs of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

The primary focus of the organization is to educate the world about the rich history between the United States and Sierra Leone via this unique group of African-Americans, who have kept more of their African heritage and culture than any other group.

We believe the history between the people of Sierra Leone and her members scattered all over the World are worth conserving and renewing. As heritage and culture activists, we believe the most effective undertakings are consistent with those ideas and principles.

Our vision is to build an organization that gives us a platform to address historical facts, culture, diet, way of life and other aspects of the bond between Sierra Leone and her descendants in the Diaspora to flourish.

SLGHA’s staff pursues this mission by performing timely, accurate research on key historical issues and effectively communicating these findings to our primary audiences: Sierra Leoenans, Gullahs, African American with DNA ancestry to Sierra Leone, and the children of Sierra Leoneans living overseas.

Governed by an independent Board of Trustees, the Sierra Leone-Gullah Heritage Association is an independent, tax-exempt institution. SLGHA relies on the private financial support of the general public—individuals, foundations, and corporations—for its income, and accepts no government funds and performs no contract work.

SLGHA is one of a kind in the relentless pursuit of connecting Sierra Leoneans in the Diaspora through historical education workshops, print material and mouth-to-mouth discussions by those who have experienced the richness of this special connection.