Ah, "progress". Isn't it grand?
Forgotten people of the Sea Islands: Poignant photos of Gullah Geechee community shed light on descendants of enslaved Africans whose way of life is now facing extinction
Gullah Geechee living in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida are direct descendants of West African slaves brought across the Atlantic to work on plantations
The Gullah Geechee people speak a unique creole language, have their own folklore and religious customs
Rampant land development and skyrocketing property taxes are now threatening the Gullah's way of life
Photographer Pete Marovich documented the Gullah Geechee as part of his new book
Living off the land and sea: Julius 'Frank' Bailey smokes freshly caught mullet on a grill in his back yard in Hog Hammock. The Geechee have held on to their traditional self-sustaining practices of fishing, farming and hunting
Squeezed out: Eddie Grant Jr. tends his mother's garden as new condominiums rise along her property line. While Grant's family has managed to hold onto their land, many other Gullah Geechee residents have been forced to sell their property due to rampant development and escalating taxes
Resting place: Braddock's Point Cemetery in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island remains active for members of the Williams and related Chisolm families. It dates to Braddock's Point Plantation in what is now Sea Pines. It's where the enslaved and freedmen were buried. The cemetery lies in the shadow of a four-story condominium along the famed 18th fairway of the Harbour Town Golf Links
For me, this is the most powerful and telling image:
Guarding traditions: Mt. Pleasant resident Antwon Ford pulls sweetgrass from the landscaping in front of the Wal Mart near his home. Ford has been sewing the traditional Gullah sweetgrass baskets since he was 6. The local Gullah residents have an agreement with the shopping center management to pull the grass that is necessary for making the baskets
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2746077/Forgotten-tribe-Sea-Islands-Poignant-photos-Gullah-Geechee-community-shed-light-descendants-African-slaves-way-life-facing-extinction.html#ixzz3CYh33j00
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