"We Be Gullah": A Conversation with Dr. Jessica Berry

On this episode of Intersectionality in the American South, guest Dr. Jessica Berry shares a bit on the significance of the Gullah Geechee language for her personally and professionally. She shares experiences about her upbringing, the unspoken rule of code-switching inside and outside the Gullah community, and the challenges she faced in a predominantly white high school.  Dr. Jessica Berry goes on to discuss her professional and community efforts to preserve and promote the Gullah Geechee culture and language, particularly through the Okra Soup Foundation.  Listen now to hear about the transformative impact Dr. Berry's work has had on youth and her vision for preserving Gullah Geechee language and culture in South Carolina schools.

Dr. Jessica Berry is an accomplished and highly respected educator and researcher from Huger, South Carolina. With her B.A. and M.A. in speech-language pathology & audiology from Winthrop University and South Carolina State University, respectively, and her doctoral studies at Louisiana State University in communication disorders with a minor in linguistics, she is an expert in her field. Dr. Berry is a nationally certified and state-licensed speech-language pathologist who has dedicated her career to sharing knowledge about the Gullah Geechee language, culture, and history. As a dedicated higher education professional and the owner of Garden City Gymnastics, LLC in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Dr. Berry is a driven and successful entrepreneur, educator, and researcher. 

She founded The O.K.R.A. Soup Foundation, a 501c3 organization that empowers Gullah Geechee youth through the We Been Ya: Geechee Girls Rock Program, reflecting her passion for creating equitable spaces for children who speak non-mainstream varieties of English to succeed. Dr. Berry is a wife and mother of two girls, and in her spare time, she enjoys leading praise and worship, recording new music, and reading. With her impressive accomplishments and unwavering determination to continue her work as an educator and researcher, Dr. Berry is an inspiration to all who know her.

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