After earning her degrees in math and computer science at Columbia University and Fordham University, Queen Quet though she would spend her life in front of a computer.
However, she felt pulled to preserve the culture and people of her native Gullah/Geechee Nation on St. Helena Island in South Carolina. In 1996, Quet founded the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, and she spoke at the United Nations in Geneva about Gullah/Geechee human rights and land protection issues. She was elected as head pun de bodee and official spokesperson for the newly established Gullah/Geechee Nation in 2000. These days she is a powerful woman leader in her community, speaking about the convergence of Indigenous peoples’ rights and climate justice. Photo credit: Charleston City Paper
