Testimonials
The McIntosh County Shouters have embodied within the representations of slave culture the way in which African-Americans worshipped and communicated while maintaining a distinct way of being in the midst of societal oppression. African-American Christian worship is the connection between and African people, the experience of slavery combining their own religious worldview with that of their captors. Africans did not come to American tableau rasa (as clean slates). They brought with them who they were. As they retained their skin color, so did they retain their culture. There were those who were shipped to colder climates with less sun, their color faded, but their soul view remained. Out of all the distinguishing features of the African in American, their religious worldview has remained distinctive. This distinctiveness has been captured poignantly in The McIntosh County Shouters.~ Reverend George P Lee, III—Ph.D. Pastor, St. John Baptist Church in Savannah, GA
As a homegrown Georgia art form, the ring shout deserves greater recognition , and the McIntosh County Shouters represent and carry on this tradition…The members of the McIntosh County Shouters were originally not public performers but participants in their own community’s ring shout. When it became known that the ring shout was still being performed, a group was formed to introduce national audiences to the custom. ~Senator Mitch Seabaugh
The Shouters in their unique performances have discovered that the best way to teach African American History in a serious yet entertaining manner is through the universal language of music and dance. As a retired educator, I know that the school system does not teach much Black History, except for a program at the end of the month of February. Thanks to the Shouters, who travel far and near, we are reminded year round about the Black Experience through story telling, music, songs and dance. The Shouters interact with the audience and get everyone involved through rhythmic clapping, singing and actual dance moves. This has proven to be a very effective way to capture the attention of the young and old while they learn history in the process. I sincerely support the McIntosh County Shouters in all of their efforts to educate the Community, State and the Nation on the history of African American Culture, through narration, songs, music and dance. This group is a great attribute to McIntosh County. I am proud of the Shouters for their service to humanity. ~ Roslyn Blackshear-Proud Supporter
The McIntosh County Shouters is a national treasure that has preserved one of the oldest forms of African American cultural and religious expression with a direct link to African roots. I had the pleasure of recommending the group for a National Heritage Fellowship, America’s highest honor for the traditional arts, which they received in 1993. Their performances in New York City over the past twenty-one years have held audiences spellbound and contributed to a greater understanding of early African American culture. Robert H. Browning ~ Executive & Artistic Director, World Music Institute, New York
