Land ownership has long been recognized as synonymous with the ability to acquire personal wealth and sustain generational wealth.  No doubt, that is why the newly freed Africans requested land in their conversation with General William Sherman in Savannah in 1865.  The result of their conversation was Special Field Order #15 which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln and issued into law. Simply put, that order identified the coastal strip of land from Charleston, SC south to Jacksonville, FL as land to be given to the newly freed Black families in plots not to exceed 40 acres.  Mentioned specifically are Beauford, Hilton Head, Savannah, Fernandina, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville and the Georgia Sea Islands.  It is interesting that Sherman was careful to include in the Order that “..no white person whatever, unless military officers an soldiers detailed for duty, will be permitted to reside [on the islands]; and the sole and exclusive management of affairs will be left to the freed people themselves”. 

Although Special Field Order #15 was rescinded when President Andrew Johnson became president following Lincoln’s assassination, there were some Black families who were able to secure and keep land in their families from then until now.  Examples can be found particularly on the South Carolina and Georgia islands.  The fact that Sherman specifically noted that no white person could reside on the islands is telling about the sacredness and value of the land.  The fact that white people have been strategizing to own property on the land is also quite telling!  And the struggle continues.

For five years ninety-three year old Josephine Wright, of Hilton Head Island, fought with developers for her land.  Ms. Josephine was approached to sell her land “to an interested person” for $39,000.  Now, I’m no real estate agent; however, something tells me that land anywhere on Hilton Head Island is worth more than $39,000.  And, even if she was offered hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ms. Josephine wanted  to keep the land in the family.  Her granddaughter, Tracey Love Graves, told me that Bailey Point Investment Services, LLC served Ms. Wright a legal letter which indicated that a portion of her screened-in porch, her shed, and her satellite dish were sitting on their property (acquired through the sale of land surrounding her home).  The lawsuit demanded removal of those items from their property.  While the entire letter and action are troublesome enough, what specifically angered Tracey and her grandmother was that the developers demanded “compensation for the loss of enjoyment and usage of their property and costs associated with the delays and expenses due to the delay of the use of their property.”  Ms. Josephine filed a countersuit alleging that Bailey Point Investment Services is using harassment and intimidation tactics to pressure her off her land.  Tracey told me that the developers wanted to get Ms. Josephine tied up in court so that she would not be able to afford to continue fighting and just give up.   Fortunately, people  stepped up to assist her in the fight – Snoop Dog donated $10K, Kyler Irving has donated $40K, Tyler Perry has committed to assist.  An additional $6K was collected through a GoFundMe account:  Fighting Injustice on Hilton Head.

Tracey showed me pictures of the land around her grandmother’s home before developers came – beautiful trees, peaceful areas, swampland that was allegedly home to allegators and wildlife (she said she other children never went out back for fear of the wildlife).  Now, the area has been leveled and there’s evidence of the impending construction.  Ms. Josephine was ok with the developers building around her – just leave her and her plot of land be.  Obviously, that is not the picture the developers have in their vision. And the fight for land continues.  Ms. Josephine and her descendants are crying out:  This land is our land!

Another ongoing fight is on Sapelo Island.  There is a special area on the Island called Hog Hammock.  This historic community is inhabited by descendants of formerly enslaved Africans. Hog Hammock is the last Gullah Geechee community on a Georgia barrier island. This community is so special that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In fact, the Georgia Legislature established the Sapelo Island Heritage Authority in recognition that “the best and most important use of this area of Greater Sapelo Island is for said community to remain, as it currently exists, a historic community, occupied by the direct descendants of the slaves of Thomas Spalding.”  The Gullah Geechee community of Hog Hammock has been on Sapelo Island for 13 generations.  Reportedly, this community lives on the last island of its kind along Coastal Georgia.  

I attended the open hearing in the Darrien County Courtroom where over 150 people gathered to speak out against the proposal to allow developers to build on the Hog Hammock area.  There were Blacks and Whites speaking out in unison against this travesty.  The question was asked, “Who initiated this re-zoning effort?”  No one answered.  One person who spoke likened Sapelo Island to a piece of art.  That person cautioned the Commissioners against “taking a piece of art and melting it to get money”.  They said Sapelo is a piece of art to be enjoyed by everyone.  Another person stated that oppression is a threat to justice.  Dr. Martin Luther King’s quote came to my mind: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.  The potential loss of land for the residents in Hog Hammock on Sapelo Island can certainly be deemed as injustice to that area.  The impact could be felt hundreds of miles away as this signals to other developers that this practice is acceptable.  The people spoke out.  A letter writing campaign began.  Efforts from myriad community groups attempted to convey the message that development of this nature would do more harm than good for the community of Hog Hammock.  

Neither cultural history nor voices of the present matter when land becomes a coveted area for developers.  On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the County Commissioners of McIntosh County voted to allow developers to build large private homes in the Hog Hammock area.  This vote was made despite significant protest from Island residents and hundreds of concerned citizens in and around Coastal Georgia.  Sapelo Island is Georgia’s fourth largest island with 156,500 acres.  Hog Hammock is 434 acres of land owned by descendants of enslaved Blacks.  Why allow developers to build on their land?  Doing so basically erases a historical culture that has remained intact over 230 years.  Allowing developers to build on the Hog Hammock area raises taxes that the residents cannot afford; thus driving them off of their land.  Without intervention, Sapelo Island will become another Hilton Head Island.  The Gullah Geechee community of Hog Hammock is screaming:  This land is our land!

Mrs. Josephine Wright’s situation on Hilton Head Island garnered national attention and gained the support of people around the country who joined in chorus with her that “this land is her land”.   The final script about Sapelo Island remains unwritten as a community of people and supporters across the state are regrouping and gearing up for a fight for Hog Hammock with a bold announcement to developers and politicians that “this land is our land”.  

The title of this BLOG is “This Land is Our Land” and is taken from the song written by Woodie Guthrie in 1940. It is considered to be a song about inclusion and equality.  Both inclusion and equality are missing in the preceding stories.  They are replaced by greed and superiority.  When will living people matter more than land possession?  When will existing historic culture be valued above individual economic greed and capitalism?  When will the eclipsing of our elderly end?  When…?

BLOG UPDATE:  Tyler Perry made good on his promise and actually built a new 5-bedroom home for Mrs. Wright; however, she passed away (Jan, 2024) before it was complete.