The Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Bill, sponsored by Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, would create a cultural heritage corridor and one or more coastal heritage centers, and establish a commission that would oversee these activities.
To pay for this effort, the legislation authorizes $1 million a year over 10 years for establishing a cultural preservation program for Gullah-Geechee communities.
Gullah-Geechee people are the descendants of enslaved Africans who typically live from the coast of North Carolina to Florida on the Sea Islands.
Because the area remained isolated for years after slavery was abolished, the Gullah-Geechee community remained intact and maintained much of its West African culture.
"I believe wholeheartedly that this bill will help to lay the groundwork for keeping the culture alive and provide a means for preservation, protection reinvigoration of Gullah-Geechee communities and cultural landscapes," Clyburn said in a Tuesday statement.
Clyburn received a boost of support for the bill in May last spring when the National Trust for Historic Preservation put the coastal region containing Gullah-Geechee people on the nation's most endangered historic sites list.
The bill has the potential to affect St. Helena's very own Penn Center, one of the first schools for freed slaves in the country.
The former school-turned-nonprofit could become a cultural heritage center under the bill, showcasing the history and culture of the area.
"This bill is going to bring national attention to the Gullah culture," said Bernie Wright, Penn Center's executive director. "It should go a long way in getting the publicity that is due -- that is past due for this wonderful culture."
Clyburn said because of the overwhelming support for the legislation, he expects the bill to go through the Senate for final approval by Friday.