For generations, the Gullah-Geechee people have fought to stop gentrification from taking over their small and historic land. Now, a community vote has ended a years-long effort trying to force development on the Southern land, proving once again how dedicated the Gullah-Geechee people are to protecting their culture.
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We previously told you the Gullah-Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans who now live on the coasts of states like Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas. Given the community’s historic standing and coastal climate, contractors and investors have tried repeatedly to capitalize on the land.
The most recent attempt to develop on Sapelo Island’s Hog Hammock community —the only surviving Gullah-Geechee community in the state — began in 2023. Residents were blindsided by attempts to eliminate special zoning laws protecting landowners from tax increases, according to WTOC. The commissioners also voted to double the maximum home size on the island, raising it to 3,000 square feet.
The community complained these changes would undoubtedly raise property taxes and eventually displace Black landowners living on the land for generations, according to Keep Sapelo Geechee, a local organization. “Most people in the world are mainlanders, and island people have very unique, distinct cultures and traditions and we know we can’t live without what’s going on with the water. Everything in our life has to do with it,” Queen Quet, the elected leader of the Gullah-Geechee people told The Root.
The Gullah-Geechee people have their own language (a form of Creole), food, history and art that is directly tied to the African continent. Many residents are generations deep into the Gullah-Geechee community, so preservation has become a top priority in the Black community. And they have the support of non-Gullah locals, too.
“We, the community members, would like for the county to support the residents who live out there and who have lived out there for generations to be able to stay on the island for as long as they want,” said Megan DeRosiers, a McIntosh County voter but not a member of the Gullah-Geechee community, told WTOC.
It’s this need for preservation that inspired the Gullah people to fight against the 2023 zoning effort. Local activists collected thousands of signatures to force a community vote on the matter. On Jan. 20, the Gullah-Geechee people finally got their wish.
The referendum was only the second to ever challenge a county action in Georgia. Back in 2022, Camden County voters rejected a proposal to build a rocket launching pad, according to NPR.
According to reports, 85 percent of voters rejected the zoning ordinance, marking yet another win in the Gullah-Geechee people’s fight against gentrification. The battle cost over $500,000 in legal fees, according to an investigation by The Current. And residents have to foot the bill once again.
Still, the Gullah-Geechee community can rest knowing their culture is still being preserved. Hogg Hummock is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is the official list of American historic sites.
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