Victoria Smalls

Victoria A. Smalls, a Gullah cultural architect and creative, is an esteemed consultant, advocate, and presenter dedicated to the Gullah Geechee culture and African American heritage. With over two decades of leadership experience, Victoria has worked at the intersection of history, art, culture, and policy. ​Victoria, a Gullah Geechee native of St. Helena Island, South Carolina, has held various leadership positions, including serving as a Federal Commissioner and Executive Director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, National Park Ranger at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, Director of the History, Art, and Culture Program and Director of the York W. Bailey Museum at Penn Center, and Program Manager for the International African American Museum. She is also the Founder/CEO/Principal Consultant of Smalls Cultural Resources. As a lifelong advocate for the Gullah Geechee community, she uses her expertise to curate exhibits, guide historical preservation efforts, and coordinate cultural programs. Victoria is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Governor’s Award in the Humanities and The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Medal.

 LinkedIn: Victoria A. Smalls

As a heritage guardian, cultural preservationist, and advocate with over 12 years of experience, I am committed to preserving African American and Gullah Geechee history. Through strategic consulting, advocacy, and program management, I work with communities, organizations, and governments to safeguard cultural heritage, amplify untold stories, and create sustainable opportunities for future generations.

Experience

SC State Coordinator, Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund

 Support Black farmers and landowners in South Carolina by providing resources, advocacy, and technical assistance to sustain and protect their land. Collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to promote land justice, cooperative development, and economic empowerment for underserved rural communities.

Executive Director, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor

 Preserved Gullah Geechee culture across four states, including the reauthorization of the National Heritage Area and securing federal funding increases. I developed community-driven programs and managed partnerships to promote cultural and heritage tourism, ensuring long-term sustainability for Gullah Geechee heritage.

National Park Ranger & Education Program Coordinator, National Park Service

 Created and delivered educational programs at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, focusing on the history and culture of African American communities, particularly Gullah Geechee descendants. I facilitated partnerships and supported preservation efforts at key historic sites.

Director of Museum, Director of Programs, Director of Development and Grants Manager Penn Center, Inc.

 Managed exhibitions, educational initiatives, the historical archives, raised funding, and cultural programs at the National Historic Landmark District. I focused on integrating Gullah Geechee culture into public programming and ensuring the center’s role in preserving African American history.

Program Manager, International African American Museum

 Managed museum operations and Gullah Geechee exhibition content development. I played a key role in growing the charter membership program and raising funds to support the museum's mission to share African American history and Gullah Geechee culture.

Gallery Manager, Exhibit Curator, Certified Custom Picture Framer, Red Piano Too Art Gallery

 Managed the gallery's operations, curated exhibitions, and promoted the work of over 100 artists. Additionally, I conducted educational tours, providing insights into Gullah Geechee culture and art.

HISTORY, ART, LAND, AND CULTURE PRESENTATIONS AND CONSULTANT SERVICES

Throughout my career, I have been an active presenter, speaker, and consultant on the preservation of African American and Gullah Geechee history, engaging with academic institutions, cultural organizations, and media outlets.

Keynote Speaker: "The History and Culture of the Gullah Geechee People" (25th Anniversary Fireside Chat Dinner, Dataw Island Historic Foundation, 2024)

Panel Presenter, Ancestries and Legacies of Enslavement, McLeod Plantation Historic Site, Georgia Southern University and CLAW at the College of Charleston, SC, 2024

Presenter and Trainer, Gullah Geechee Cultural Legacies, National Wildlife Federation, Charleston, SC, 2024

Keynote Speaker: "Gullah Geechee People and Their Culture" (Ohio Speaking Tour, Marietta College, 2023)

Convocation Speaker, University of South Carolina—Beaufort, SC, 2023

Keynote Speaker, African American History Education Conference, Beaufort County School District, SC, 2022

Consultant, The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song,” PBS (2021) This project preserves the history of the Black Church in America, highlighting resilience and faith central to Black American culture. 

Presenter, The Perpetuation of Rice Heritage through the Arts, presentation on the connections of visual arts in Sierra Leone and Gullah Geechee communities. Brookgreen Gardens. March 2021

Consultant, Cultural Study Trip to Sierra Leone, West Africa. Gullah Roots. SCETV Produced Film Documentary, December 27, 2019—January 8, 2020

Panel Presenter, Spoleto Festival Discussion Series: Exploring Omar: “Cultural Ties Between Futa Toro (Senegal) and the Lowcountry in Exploring Omar Ibn Said”, Spoleto Festival USA, College of Charleston, SC February 2020

Panel Presenter, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Penn Center, MLK: An Evening of Reflection”, Lander University, Greenwood, SC, January, 2020

Coordinator and Presenter, “Hastings Gantt Reconstruction Era Lecture Series”, Penn Center, December 2019-December 2020

Keynote Speaker, “Gullah Geechee Culture in the Reconstruction Era” Aiken’s Celebration of African American Excellence, Center for African American History and Culture, Aiken, SC, September, 2019

Presenter, “Penn School and Gullah Geechee Teaching Resources”, Gullah Voices-National Endowment for the Humanities Teacher’s Institute University of Connecticut, Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC and Savannah, GA, July 2019

Keynote Speaker, “Penn School and St. Helena Island during the Reconstruction Era”, South Carolina Historical Association’s Annual Meeting, University of South Carolina—Aiken, March 9, 2019 

Panel Presenter, “Public Programming on Slavery and African American History in the South Carolina Lowcountry”, Slave Dwelling Project Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, October 26, 2018

Site Coordinator and Presenter, Gullah Voices National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Teacher Institute, for the University of Connecticut at Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Program Developer, “Culture Keepers: Traditional and Contemporary Gullah Art Workshops for Youth”, Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC, 2015-2016, 2016-2017

Coordinator and Presenter, “Sam Doyle Folk & Gullah Cultural Arts Festival”, Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Presenter, “The Hallowed & Historic Grounds of Penn Center National Historic Landmark District”, 20th Annual Dr. Carter G. Woodson Black History Program, Association for the Study of African American Life & History, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, SC 2016

Presenter, “The America’s South Connection to West Africa”, The Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Hilton Head Island, SC 2016

Presenter, “The Effects of the Civil War on African Americans in the South Carolina Lowcountry”, African American Studies, University of South Carolina—Hilton Head Gateway Campus, SC, 2016

Program Developer, St. Helena Island Community Health Fair, Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC 2016, 2017

Panel Presenter, Commemorating the Reconstruction & Civil Rights Eras: The National Park Service’s Call to Action in its Second Century, Penn Center during the Reconstruction and Civil Rights Era, Association for the Study of African American Life & History Centennial Celebration Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2015

Consultant, Presenter, Site Coordinator, South Carolina: Rights to Ancestral Land; International Decade of People of African Descent (2015-2024), United Nations TV, 2015

Contributing Author, A Teacher’s Guide to African American Historic Places in South Carolina 2015, SC African American Heritage Commission, Columbia, SC, 2015

Presenter, “Gullah Geechee Culture in Beaufort County”, Gullah Geechee Cultural Tourism Expo, Hilton Head Island, SC, 2015

Coordinator and Presenter, Penn Center Civil Rights Symposium, Penn Center, 2014

Presenter, “Gullah Geechee Culture in South Carolina & the History of Penn School, Minority Landowner Magazine Annual Conference, Greensboro, NC, 2013


DOCUMENTARIES, PUBLICATIONS, AND MEDIA

Consultant, and Featured Guest, Gullah Roots, SC ETV, 2019--2020

Featured Guest, Gullah Geechee Fight to Protect Their Land and Culture, NPR Here & Now, WBUR 90.0 FM Radio, November 4, 2019

Featured Guest, Protecting Gullah Culture by Victoria Hansen, SC Public Radio, September 2019

Featured Article on V. Smalls, Reconstruction Era comes to life in new initiative for SC History Classes, Post and Courier Newspaper, October 2018

Consultant and Presenter, CNN’s United Shades of America, The Gullah Culture, May 2018

Consultant and Presenter, AMC’s Riding with Norman Reedus, Lowcountry of SC with Dave Chappelle, The History and Culture of the Gullah People , June 2017

Featured Story on V. Smalls, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Bluffton Breeze Magazine, February 2017

Featured Guest, Gullah Culture in South Carolina, Victoria Smalls and Phylicia Rashad, African Ancestry Radio, SiriusXM Urban View Channel, Washington, DC, 2016

Featured Story on V. Smalls, Collected Wisdom-Victoria Smalls, Living Well Magazine, Spring 2016

Consultant, Presenter, Site Coordinator, South Carolina: Rights to Ancestral Land; International Decade of People of African Descent (2015-2024), United Nations TV, 2015

Featured Guest, Saving Culture at a Cost, The Stream, Aljazeera America TV, 2015

Presenter, Gullah Traditions in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Discover South Carolina, 2014

Featured Guest, Victoria Smalls, Growing Up Gullah, GullahTV.com, 2014

Featured Story, Victoria Smalls—A Heart for History, Beaufort Lifestyle Magazine, Winter Issue 2014-2015

Featured Story, Growing Up Gullah, Amelia Magazine, Germany, 2014

Featured Story, A Place in Time—Victoria Smalls, Pink Magazine, 2013


Awards & Honors

•Governor’s Award in Humanities (2024)

•50 Most Influential Leaders to Know in Charleston, SC (2023)

•The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Medal (2022)

•Black History USA Community Advocate Award (2022)

•12 Black Leaders to Know in South Carolina (2022)

•Key to the City of Conway, SC (2021)

•National Park Service STAR Award (2021)

•Leo Twiggs Arts Diversity Leadership Scholar (2019)

Riley Fellow in Diversity Leadership, The Riley Institute at Furman University (2019)

•Maven for The Art of Community: Rural SC (2018)

•Presidential Citation Award, African American Heritage Advocate, South Carolina State Conference NAACP (2016)


EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND CERTIFICATIONS

•Bachelor of Arts University of South Carolina - Beaufort, SC

•Associate in Arts Technical College of the Lowcountry, Beaufort, SC

•Completed Foundational Coursework: South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC

•Fellowship Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Institute, Furman University. Areas of Focus: Socioeconomic Diversity, Intent vs. Impact, Equity, Diversity and Accountabilities, Mission-Driven Decision Making, Race and Gender.

•Leo Twiggs Arts Diversity Leadership Scholar

•Certified Grant Writer Continuing and Professional Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

•Ethics Training U.S. Department of the Interior, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Key Skills & Expertise

  • Cultural Heritage Preservation

  • Community Engagement & Program Management

  • Grant Writing & Fundraising

  • Keynote Speaker & Public Presentations

  • Museum Curatorial & Exhibition Development