The Gullah-Geechee have owned land since the 1800s. One terrible law allows their land to be stolen

[LiberalArkie]

Restored Gullah house in South Carolina


Several decades ago, my parents took a timeshare tour on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The island was in the early stages of being transformed into a resort destination. This metamorphosis was the brainchild of real estate developer Charles Fraser, who, in the 1950s, envisioned turning the sparsely populated, rural island into an ultra-extravagant paradise. Luxury resorts and modern retirement communities—almost all with “plantation” in their names—soon overtook the island. Trendy restaurants and upscale boutiques suddenly dotted the landscape, while private yachts constantly cruised the waterways.

Although the barrier island is very small—you could run around the whole thing in a 12-mile loop—developers somehow managed to squeeze 26 18-hole golf courses onto it. Today, Hilton Head Island is one of the top vacation destinations in the United States.

But it wasn’t always this way. Hilton Head is one of several formerly Black-owned islands, whose transformation came at a heavy, painful cost for decades—all thanks to a shady legal practice that one U.S. attorney describes as “the worst problem you’ve never heard of.” This loophole has robbed millions of acres from Black Americans in multiple Southern states over the past century. Worst of all, it’s still happening—and getting worse.

To understand what is happening, one need to look no further than the Gullah-Geechee nation, a rich, uniquely American culture, developed from the descendants of enslaved people on the islands of the Southeast coast.

Snip

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/8/1/1960612/-The-Gullah-Geechee-have-owned-land-since-the-1800s-One-terrible-law-allows-their-land-to-be-stolen

[samnsara]

1. their baskets are legendary!!!

[secondwind]

2. I enjoyed the videos, especially the second one, that described the culture,

the traditions, their clapping, etc. Loved it!

[Bayard]

3. I remember hearing about this a few years ago

Like so many poor populations, such as Native Americans, the wealthy has said--you have something we want. We're taking it.

[stopdiggin]

4. issue involves "Heirs property"

Land that is inherited and passed down without formal legal process.
(And a legal process that is almost impossible to satisfy or achieve after the passage of several generations.)

Land handed down to a property owner’s children without legal documentation is referred to as “heirs property.” Without a clear title or will, heirs don’t technically hold the land, but do inherit an interest—like owning stock in a company.

[Talitha]

5. There's a stunningly beautiful 1991 film called 'Daughters of the Dust' about the Gullah.

It's set in 1902 on a different island.

TCM runs it once in a while.

Definitely a must-see.

Here's a LINK

[appalachiablue]

6. Tx, making a note of the film, I've been to that beautiful coastal

S.C. and Ga. sea islands area of the Gullah and Gechee briefly and and to Charleston and Savannah.

The culture and history are so interesting; I studied the Civil War period occupation by Union forces, emancipation, the brave scout work of Harriet Tubman, and efforts by USCT nurse Susie King Taylor and Clara Barton in the area. The Port Royal Experiment by Northern abolitionists to assist newly freed slaves, sometimes called the 'Prelude to Reconstruction' took place there. Brief scenes of it are included in the successful movie 'Glory" (1989).

A natural and beautiful area, with a long culture rich of traditions. We once stopped in Darien, Ga., and St, Mary's near Cumberland Island where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Bassett were married. I remember the beautiful beaches, calm ocean, Spanish moss and quiet natural beauty. ~ Looking forward to watching this film...