Da Color Blue
The displacement of Geechee people and their land is an issue that's been creeping through the Lowcountry. Let's do something about it.
How has Johns Island changed over time:
Displacement/Demographic shift, Suburban development, Urbanization, Increase in car traffic, Culturally
Over the span of 20 years the Black population has decreased while the White and Hispanic population has increased significantly. Photo credit to Jon Marcoux.
What can be done to protect Gullah Geechee people and their cultural heritage on Johns Island?
Roots
- Implementing land use policies that concentrate growth in urban areas and protect rural land from suburban development
- St. Helena has a Cultural Protection Overlay District to protect the natives and the Gullah Geechee culture. A CPO should be implemented in Johns Island to preserve the rural character of Johns Island and to conserve the cultural, natural, agricultural, and historic assets. CPO regulations can decrease the development of structures that block access to water and culturally significant sites. Here are a few examples of restrictive developments: golf courses, gated communities, and resorts.
- Historic Preservation Zoning Ordinance, which would protect historic and architecturally significant structures and neighborhoods on Johns Island.
- Discover ways to address heirs’ property issues and find solutions.
Current projects that are working towards preserving historically African American communities in Charleston:
Photo credit to Live 5
Gullah Geechee Heritage Preservation Project : 2-year initiative that is partnering with 25 community leaders. Each community leader represents one of the 25 Black communities. This preservation project goal is to document, recognize and preserve historic Gullah Geechee/African-American Communities and their significant historic and cultural sites. The local African American history will be preserved by conducting oral history interviews, nominating properties for the national register of historic places, designating historic districts, placing historic markers and protecting historic cemeteries.
The 25 Participating communities/sites:
- 4 Mile
- 7 Mile
- Cross Cut
- Deming School, Maryville-Ashleyville
- Eastside
- Ferguson Village, Down Cut
- Gallery Agnes, MLK District
- Grace Triangle Association
- Hamlin Beach
- Honey Hill (James Island)
- Johns Island
- Liberty Hill
- Lincolnville
- Maryville-Ashleyville
- Orleans Woods
- Philips
- Red Top
- Scanlonville Cemetery
- Seabrook Graveyard
- Sol Legare
- Snowden
- Ten Mile
- Union Heights, Accabee and Chicora Cherokee Neighborhoods
- Unity Village Ministries
- Westchester
Elevation Drawing of Old Hebron
Johns Island Community Field School: This field school focuses on researching and documenting historic public buildings that are significant to John’s Island African American community.
Places that are significant to the Gullah Geechee community of Johns Island that should be protected under the Cultural Protection Overlay:
- St. Stephens AME
- Old Hebron: Built in 1868 as a place of worship by and for the African American community on Johns Island. Rev Ishmael S. Moultrie preached here after it opened.
- Promiseland School: Established in 1910 as a place for African American children to go to school.
- Moving Star Hall: Praise house built 1917
- The Progressive Club: Historic community center established by Esau Jenkins.
- Communities along River Road, Old Pond Road and Bohicket Road.
- Red Top, Exchange Landing, Cape, Hut, Geddis, Pickney
Preserving and protecting African American history in the Lowcountry is important because as Marcus Garvey stated "A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”.
Bibliography
JOHNS ISLAND (AND BEYOND) HISTORY AND CULTURE. The Johns Island Advocate. (n.d.). https://johnsislandadvocate.org/
