GULLAH GEECHEE FIGHT TO KEEP ANCESTRAL LANDS

The Gullah Geechee community are descendants of enslaved Africans forcibly brought to the coastal regions of the US states of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida during the 18th century. This resilient group has long been committed to safeguarding their heritage and the land inherited from their ancestors.

On St. Helena Island, off the South Carolina coast, Gullah Geechee people stood firm against developers threatening their traditional way of life when a company proposed a golf course and residential properties. Fortunately, the local government voted down the proposal in 2024, citing the Cultural Protection Overlay zoning law that bans golf courses and resorts.

Will the Gullah Geechee people’s cultural rights prevail over the pressures of capitalist development?

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/oct/26/gullah-geechee-st-helena-island-south-carolina 

https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/07/world/africa/gullah-geechee-africa-slavery-america/index.html