One Last Chance to See the Popular “Word, Shout, Song” Exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum During Family Day, July 23

A record-breaking “ring shout” will be among the activities featured at the free event, “Family Day: All Things Gullah,” taking place at the Anacostia Community Museum Saturday, July 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date: July 24.) The family day is the final event among the slate of more than 50 programs that have been offered in connection with the museum’s acclaimed exhibition “Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Communities through Language,” which closes July 24.

“All Things Gullah” offers something for everyone, including art activities, storytelling, a performance by the Potholes Brass Band, exhibition tours, food vendors and a marketplace offering Gullah baskets and local handcrafted items. Among the event highlights are a sweetgrass basket making demonstration, a Gullah orator’s circle featuring oral self histories, a Gullah dress-up opportunity, and the “Art of Adornment” workshop by Januwa Moja Nelson.

The  event ends with what is promised to be the largest “ring shout” ever recorded, led by theGeechee Gullah Ring Shouters and the Santa Barbara Shout Project with the help of Family Day attendees. The ring shout is a form of religious dance with roots in Africa that is still practiced among the Gullah.

“Word, Shout, Song” focuses on Turner’s research documenting the retention of African languages and culture among the descendents of enslaved African people—the Gullah/Geechee of the Georgia and South Carolina Sea Islands and the Bahians of Brazil. The exhibition was so popular that it was extended for four months and will re-emerge as a traveling exhibit.

Visitors can take the free weekend Shuttle Anacostia from the National Mall or board it at Anacostia Metro station to travel to reach the museum at 1901 Fort Place, S.E., in Washington, D.C. For more information about the event and the shuttle schedule, call the special events office at 202.633.4875 or visit anacostia.si.edu. The Anacostia Community Museum opened in southeast Washington in 1967 as the nation’s first federally funded neighborhood museum. Adopting its current name in 2006, the museum has expanded its focus from an African American emphasis to examining the impact of contemporary social issues on urban communities. For more information on the museum, the public may call  202.633.4820, 202.633.1000 or  202.633.5285 (TTY); for tours, call  202.633.4844. Website:  anacostia.si.edu.