Georgia Court Upholds Gullah-Geechee Right to Protect Ancestral Land By Blocking Zoning Changes

Georgia’s highest court has delivered a major victory for Black landowners fighting to preserve one of the South’s last Gullah-Geechee communities. On Tuesday, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of residents of Sapelo Island’s Hogg Hummock, reversing a lower court decision that had blocked their referendum to challenge zoning changes threatening the historic community. The justices wrote clearly: “Nothing in the text of the Zoning Provision in any way restricts a county electorate’s authority to seek repeal of a zoning ordinance.”

At the heart of the case is Hogg Hummock, a small enclave founded by the descendants of enslaved Africans who once labored on the island’s plantations. The zoning amendments passed by McIntosh County commissioners doubled the allowable size of homes, raising fears that wealthier outsiders would push up property taxes and displace longtime Black families. Residents gathered more than 2,300 signatures to demand a vote, but county officials sued to stop it, silencing their voices just days before Election Day.

For community members, the high court’s decision affirms their right to self-determination. “We feel vindicated,” said homeowner and organizer Jazz Watts. “The election should not have been stopped. It was stopping the voice of the people.” Attorney Dana Braun added the ruling ensures that residents will now have “some real say” in protecting their land and history.

Hogg Hummock, also known as Hog Hammock, is more than just property—it’s a living cultural treasure. Roughly 30 to 50 Black residents continue traditions passed down since emancipation, from basket weaving to cast-net fishing. Its isolation helped preserve Gullah-Geechee language, crafts, and ways of life that scholars describe as unique to the African diaspora in America. In 1996, the community was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Link: AP News