Anastatia Ketchen, Gullah Presenter

Anastatia Ketchen is a diversified artist, published author, teacher, Inspirational Speaker, mother, African Drummer, and Gullah Geechee sweetgrass traditions keeper. She captivates her audience with the sound of her drum and songs of her ancestors as she shares their stories. Anastatia has always had a passion for art and culture. At just 4 years old she fell in love with The Stage. Graduating from Winthrop University in 2007, with her Bachelors in Modern Languages, and having minored in Theatre, she found her way back to the stage as a Wilderness Counselor, teaching theatre and poetry to youth in North Carolina. Later she would go from sharing Gullah Stories, passed down in her family, with small groups of youth to a room filled with an audience. For Anastatia the merging of her culture and theatre was powerful, rewarding, and necessary.
Anastatia later developed a grassroots organization entitled UP (Unlocking Potential). She uses the power of art along with restorative justice practices to provide expressive outlets to our youth, and remind them of the foundation of their history. Anastatia works tirelessly, especially in our Gullah Geechee community, to ensure our children know that the strength of their ancestors is also within them. The Power of Art helps them Unlock their Potential. She also continues to teach the history of Sweetgrass Basket making passed down in her family. She is a Sweetgrass Traditions Keeper with The Gullah Geechee Angel Network, working side by side with Queen Quet, Chief Priestess of The Gullah Geechee Nation, her mentor Elder Carlie Towne, and many others to keep the culture alive.
Anastatia later developed a grassroots organization entitled UP (Unlocking Potential). She uses the power of art along with restorative justice practices to provide expressive outlets to our youth, and remind them of the foundation of their history. Anastatia works tirelessly, especially in our Gullah Geechee community, to ensure our children know that the strength of their ancestors is also within them. The Power of Art helps them Unlock their Potential. She also continues to teach the history of Sweetgrass Basket making passed down in her family. She is a Sweetgrass Traditions Keeper with The Gullah Geechee Angel Network, working side by side with Queen Quet, Chief Priestess of The Gullah Geechee Nation, her mentor Elder Carlie Towne, and many others to keep the culture alive.