Coastal Carolina University's African-American Celebration presents "Stories and Songs in Gullah," featuring award-winning actress Anita Singleton-Prather, on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Wall Auditorium. The event, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Services, is free and open to the public.

In a one-woman performance as "Aunt Pearlie Sue," Singleton-Prather communicates the rich language and culture associated with the South Carolina sea islands. A native of Beaufort County, Singleton-Prather based the character of Pearlie Sue on her grandmother. She has been performing her show, which features Gullah tales, music and folk wisdom, to audiences for more than 10 years.

Singleton-Prather earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Howard University and a master's degree in education from the University of South Carolina. She is a veteran teacher of the Beaufort County School District.

As a storyteller and singer, she has performed at many festivals, including the Spoleto USA international arts festival in Charleston. She appeared in the film "Forrest Gump" and on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Singleton-Prather's outreach program, "Gullah Tru De Arts," is designed to emphasize multiculturalism and introduce young people to the cultural history of the Gullah lifestyle through language, dance, music, food and crafts.

For more information, call Coastal's Office of Multicultural Student Services, which is sponsoring the program as a part of CCU's 2008 African-American Celebration, at 349-2863.