A Vanishing History: Gullah Geechee Nation

Summary

The Gullah/Geechee people, descendants of enslaved Africans, have long preserved their culture and traditions on the isolated Sea Islands off South Carolina and Georgia. However, as development encroaches—golf courses, resorts, and condos replacing their communities—they face the loss of ancestral land. Due to a legal system called Air’s property, which allows developers to buy out land cheaply, many Gullah families are being displaced. Despite efforts to resist, the threat of losing their land and culture grows as generations struggle with the pressure of development, eroding trust, and the challenge of preserving a way of life under threat.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Gullah/Geechee people have preserved their African traditions and language in an isolated community on the South Carolina and Georgia coast, maintaining their culture despite historical hardships.
• 😀 Queen Quet, a prominent Gullah leader, lives on land her great-great-grandfather acquired after being freed from slavery, continuing a legacy of land ownership that dates back to 1862.
• 😀 After the Civil War, many former slaves on the Sea Islands were able to purchase the land they were once enslaved on, but the landscape is now being rapidly transformed by development.
• 😀 The Gullah/Geechee people face pressure from developers who are displacing them with the construction of golf courses, resorts, and condos on their ancestral land.
• 😀 The concept of 'Airs Property' is unique to the Gullah/Geechee community, where land is communally owned by many heirs without formal legal documents, making it vulnerable to forced sales.
• 😀 Legal loopholes allow developers to buy up Gullah land at extremely low prices through court auctions or buyouts from distant heirs who no longer have connections to the community.
• 😀 Many Gullah families are being forced off their land, unable to afford to buy out relatives who wish to sell their shares of Airs Property, leading to the gradual erosion of their land holdings.
• 😀 Real estate brokers, like Adolf Brown, argue that development is necessary for progress, but Gullah people see this as the destruction of their culture and way of life.
• 😀 The Gullah/Geechee community faces a loss of trust and unity as they grapple with land disputes, family divisions, and the encroachment of outside interests on their land.
• 😀 Efforts to preserve the Gullah culture and land include community meetings and returning to ancestral traditions, with hopes that collective action can help prevent further land loss and cultural erosion.

Q & A

What is the Gullah community, and where is it located?

The Gullah community is an African-American population living on a chain of islands off the South Carolina and Georgia coast, known for maintaining traditions and language rooted in their African heritage.

What are some of the traditions that the Gullah people have maintained?

The Gullah people have preserved cultural traditions, including language, music, agriculture, and religious practices, passed down from their African ancestors.

How did the Gullah community come to own land after the Civil War?

After the Civil War, plantation owners abandoned the Sea Islands, allowing many formerly enslaved individuals to purchase the land they once worked on, some of which has been passed down through generations.

What is the significance of Queen Quet's family land?

Queen Quet's family has owned the land since 1862, when her great-great-grandfather, who was enslaved, legally acquired it. The land has been continuously owned by her family ever since.

What is the threat that developers pose to the Gullah community?

Developers are buying up Gullah land through legal loopholes, often forcing the sale of family-owned land for development projects like golf courses, resorts, and condos, which displaces the Gullah people.

What is 'Air's property,' and how does it impact the Gullah community?

'Air's property' refers to land passed down among multiple heirs without clear legal titles. This informal shared ownership system makes it easier for developers to acquire portions of the land, often leading to forced sales of the entire property.

How does the Air's property legal loophole work?

Under Air's property laws, any owner of a share of land can force the sale of the entire property, even if other family members don't want to sell. This is typically done by taking the matter to court.

What challenges do Gullah families face when trying to protect their land?

Gullah families often lack the financial resources to buy out relatives' shares of the land, making it difficult to prevent developers from taking over their property, even if they don't want to sell.

How have tourism and development affected the Gullah community?

Tourism and development have led to the erosion of Gullah communities, with many people being displaced from their ancestral lands as wealthy developers buy up property to build resorts and luxury housing.

What efforts are being made to preserve Gullah culture and land?

Gullah people are organizing community meetings, reconnecting with African traditions, and working to preserve land ownership within their families. However, they face significant challenges due to rising development and legal loopholes.