Life & Work with Luana Graves Sellars

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luana Graves Sellars.

Hi Luana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a native-born New Yorker, but I quickly discovered that weather wise, I was really “a mis-placed Floridian”. After a career in advertising as a media buyer, music promotions and marketing and owning two large capacity preschools, even though I had degrees in Journalism and Black History, I wasn’t prepared to live on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina one of the most culturally rich and historic areas of the South.

While growing up, I didn’t know what culture my family came from, even though I had family who would often refer to their pride in their Geechee heritage. It wasn’t until I was an adult, that I discovered through my work as a Gullah focused writer/blogger that I had been living in a Gullah Geechee household and experiencing the traditions and foods all along.

My growing passion for discovering more about my Gullah Geechee roots and culture led me to become a cultural influencer and preservationist through my writing, which is focused on educating others, as well as documenting Gullah culture, its history, and people.

In 2019, I Founded the nonprofit(s) Lowcountry Gullah and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, that raises funds to protect and preserve historic Gullah land for future generations. Lowcountry Gullah and its website, www.lowcountrygullah.com were established to document and educate people about the rich significance of the culture and its role in American history and society today. The Foundation was formed to support the overall Lowcountry Gullah mission, and specifically focus on preserving what’s left of historic Gullah land through a proactive approach, guidance and education.

In 2021, I started my own company, Sankofa Communications, by expanding into content creation for the award-winning Lowcountry Gullah Podcast and visual media, where I have written, directed, and produced multiple award-winning historic and culturally focused documentaries, that have been screened in several US cities as well as internationally in Cannes, France, London, England, Ontario and Toronto, Canada and Berlin, and Munich, Germany.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not!!! I realized as a child that my life was not meant to be easy. Every accomplishment that I have achieved has been a challenge, which as an adult, I realize that only makes every success that much sweeter.

That success comes with a cost. I have found that my mind is constantly creating and pumping out ideas for content, The problem with that is either remembering it later or even remembering to just stop what I’m doing and write it down. I have lost several great ideas to not remembering, which is very frustrating.

My other challenge is that most of the work that I have done has been on my own, which is good and bad. I have become so used to working with my staff of me, myself and I, she and her, that I need to let go a little so that I can expand a lot.

But, even with the successes, sometimes because I am constantly in the middle of the daily grind, I realize that I need to step back more and appreciate me solely for myself, the work that I have done.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m extremely proud of all of my work, as it covers several mediums that interest me. As a cultural influencer and podcaster, I focus on Gullah Geechee culture through Lowcountry Gullah. As a documentarian, I enjoy creating historic truthtelling and storytelling content through my award-winning films, Harriet Tubman | From the Railroad to a Spy, (which is broadcasting nationally on PBS and has won seven awards) and The Colored Troops of the Civil War | Courage. Determination. Survival (has won six awards) and is on several streaming channels on ROKU.

After several years of being asked “when are you writing a book?”, this year, I completed my first coffee table book, Carry We Spirit | Gullah Legacies in Paint and Words, with my sister-friend, an internationally recognized Gullah mixed media artist, the renowned Sonja Griffin Evans, whose images have graced the pages of my writing since the beginning of Lowcountry Gullah.

It’s an exciting new genre for me. I’ve been told that the book is a “game changer for the culture“, because in addition to Sonja’s incredibly emotional art, it is a complete truth telling of the significant impacts that the Gullah Geechee have made in America.

Through all that I do and have done in my work, I fully believe that I’m doing my part to sustain and preserve Gullah Geechee culture and history for future generations.

In West African tradition, it is expected that one not only speaks in their own voice, but also in the voice of our voiceless ancestors. It is why I do what I do and I know that my work is making the Ancestors proud.

How do you define success?
How do I define success?

So much history, especially Black & Gullah history, has been hidden or removed from textbooks. As a result, my passion for telling untold stories is to educate and inspire people to understand more about who they are and possibly connect to a significantly rich culture that they didn’t know that they are a part of is my success.

My appreciation, and the fire for what I do comes from the emotional and passionate “thank yous” that I get daily for introducing historical information or culture to someone who might not have known anything previously.

It’s a powerful and frequent endorsement that reminds me that I am doing the right thing. The Cardinals that live outside my door definitely help too!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lowcountrygullah.com
• Instagram: @lowcountrygullah
• Facebook: @lowcountrygullah
• LinkedIn: @lowcountrygullah
• Youtube: @lowcountrygullah
• Other: https://www.lowcountrygullahfoundation.org