The Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Awards

Marlena Smalls works heroically to promote and preserve the spirit, tenacity and music of the Gullah people of the South Carolina sea islands. She continues to transform Gullah descendents once unsure about their heritage into a group of people who are proud of their past and prepared to preserve it. Her passion to preserve and promote this culture has earned her a seat in the SC Black Hall of Fame.

Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers, a group she organized in 1990, perform Gullah songs to entertain and educate the public about the culture. In 1998, the group was named “Ambassadors of Tourism” by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. They have appeared on the NBC Today Show, ABC Good Morning America, CBS's This Morning, and in numerous other national and international venues.

The annual Gullah Festival in Beaufort, the most prominent and visible celebration of Gullah culture in the nation, was founded by Smalls and four of her friends in 1985. Opening on the same weekend as Spoleto, the festival provides area African Americans a connection to their African pasts, and provides locals and tourists a counterpoint to Spoleto's more European-centered offerings.