Lecture Notes: Gullah/Geechee Community and Cultural Preservation

Introduction

• Gullah/Geechee people live on islands off the South Carolina and Georgia coast.
• They have maintained traditions brought from Africa by their enslaved ancestors, developing unique culture and language known as Gullah.

Cultural and Historical Context

• The Gullah people remained on former plantation lands where ancestors were enslaved.
• Queen Quet (Marquetta Goodwine) lives on ancestral land, legally owned since 1862.
• Isolation helped preserve their culture, described as being 'insulated'.

Post-Civil War Land Ownership

• After the Civil War, plantations were abandoned, and former slaves purchased the land.
• The land was owned communally, passed down through generations without formal titles.

Modern Challenges

• Development: Land is being bought for resorts, golf courses, and condos.
• Example: Hilton Head Island transformed from Gullah community to tourist destination.

Legal and Economic Pressures

• Air’s property: Land passed without clear titles among hundreds of heirs.
• Vulnerable to legal loopholes where any owner can force a sale, making it difficult for families to retain their land.
• Developers exploit these loopholes to acquire land cheaply.

Community and Cultural Impact

• Gullah culture and communities are diminishing due to land sales.
• Real estate pressures are driving Gullah people off their ancestral lands.
• Example: Mount Pleasant's rapid development threatens Gullah communities.

Perspectives

• Some see development as progress, others see it as cultural loss.
• Example: Adolf Brown, a local real estate broker, navigates familial and community conflicts over development.

Preservation Efforts

• Emphasis on community meetings and cultural unity.
• Stress on the importance of land ownership for cultural preservation.
• Calls for re-establishing trust within the black community to resist external pressures.

Conclusion

• The struggle of Gullah people is part of a broader narrative of displacement by wealthier newcomers.
• There's a risk of losing a significant piece of American history if current trends continue.

• Key Themes: Cultural preservation, legal/economic pressures, community unity, and land ownership.
• Important Terms: Gullah/Geechee, Air’s property, communal land, development pressures.