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.