GULLAH GONE: PRESERVING THE LAND, WATER AND CULTURE OF THE SEA ISLANDS

Ed "Lee Man" Atkins owns Atkins Bait Shop, one of the oldest businesses in Beaufort County. He also picks oysters in season around St. Helena Island, S.C. Photo by Denise McGill © 2013

St. Helena Island is a rare gem on the South Carolina coastline. African Americans have farmed and fished here for centuries: first as plantation slaves, then as freedmen owning small subsistence operations. In Gullah Gone: Preserving the Land, Water and Culture of the Sea Islands, four landowners on St. Helena struggle to make a living off land their families have owned since Reconstruction. They face a double challenge, they must stave off the threat of development, and recruit the next generation of caretakers.

 

Director | Denise McGill

Producers | Sherard Duvall & Denise McGill

 

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