Four Take-Aways from the IGGAD Conference

Last Fall, ICIC was invited to submit a proposal to present on the topic of indigo and our work in the Lowcountry through the efforts and actions of the SARE Grant. We were excited to learn in early 2025 that our presentation, A Bright Blue Future: The Revival of Indigo in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia, was accepted, alongside a workshop introducing participants to dyeing with indigo.

Arianne King Comer, Precious Jennings and Heather K Powers at the 2025 IGGAD Conference

The conference was a multi-day event organized by the Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. This year's theme of the IGGAD conference was Reconstruction, and we were honored to be considered and accepted to present alongside incredible scholars, community leaders, artists, and more.

The presentation was casual and included sections jointly presented by Arianne King Comer, Heather K Powers, and our SARE Partner, Precious Jennings of Align the Fibers.

In our excitement to present to an audience unfamiliar with our organization, we gave attendees a bit of regional and global indigo history and shared the work we are doing to facilitate the connection and teaching of indigo growing, harvesting, and processing.

The highlight (isn't it always?!) was the hands-on workshop, during which we provided participants with kerchiefs to dye using a variety of patterns and shibori methods.

We walked away with new connections and a shared sense of the cultural value of indigo in our communities. Since our SARE Partners are members of the Gullah Geechee Diasporic Community, we have repeatedly witnessed the Joy of working with indigo in the community.

Our Four essential takeaways:

1. We shared our knowledge and passion for indigo and found it infectious (in the best possible way).

2. We witnessed and participated in facilitating acts of Joy as resistance. As seen above, smiles and creative joy are among our most valuable motivations.

3. We situated and reoriented ourselves within a community of equally passionate and committed individuals and groups (non-profits, educators, etc.).

4. We expanded our network of community members, with whom we are excited to collaborate, learn, and co-create.

   
   

We shared indigo seeds, exchanged names and information, and look forward to extending our work with indigo within the Gullah Geechee communities and corridor. The future of Indigo in this region is indeed bright!