- Georgia Supreme Court reviews zoning law impacting 30-50 Black residents
- 2023 amendments doubled permissible home sizes, risking displacement
- Community founded by freed slaves preserves rare African traditions
- Legal battle follows blocked referendum with 2,300+ signatures
Residents of Sapelo Island's Hogg Hummock face an existential threat as Georgia's Supreme Court debates their right to challenge zoning changes. The McIntosh County Commission’s 2023 decision to allow larger homes has sparked fears of tax hikes and cultural erosion in one of America’s last intact Gullah-Geechee enclaves. Descendants of enslaved plantation workers argue these amendments violate decades-old protections designed to safeguard their ancestral land.
This legal clash follows a failed referendum effort where over 2,300 coastal county residents demanded a public vote. Early ballots were cast before a judge halted the process, citing zoning law exemptions from citizen challenges. Attorneys for Hogg Hummock cite Georgia’s 2023 spaceport ruling as precedent, where citizens blocked a rocket launch facility through referendum. County officials counter that zoning powers reside outside this constitutional provision.
Scholars emphasize Hogg Hummock’s significance as a living archive of West African traditions. Isolated for generations, residents preserved unique linguistic patterns, fishing techniques, and craft traditions now recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. However, with 65% white leadership in McIntosh County, preservation efforts rely on inconsistent local governance.
The community’s plight mirrors challenges faced by other Southern Black enclaves. Charleston’s McLeod Plantation descendants recently battled hotel encroachment, while Louisiana’s Isle de Jean Charles residents grapple with climate gentrification. Coastal development pressures compound systemic inequities – a 2023 Urban Institute study shows Black-owned coastal properties appreciate 23% slower than neighboring white-held lands.
Legal experts note this case could redefine home rule in Georgia. If upheld, the Camden County spaceport precedent would empower citizens to challenge various county decisions through referendum. However, zoning law’s exclusion might set dangerous exceptions. The American Planning Association warns 41% of historic Black communities lack protection against speculative development.
As justices deliberate, Hogg Hummock residents rebuild from October’s ferry dock collapse that killed seven during their Cultural Day festival. The tragedy underscored infrastructure neglect in marginalized communities. With state ferry services suspended, remaining families face isolation while fighting legal and existential battles. Their struggle embodies the complex intersection of heritage preservation, environmental justice, and systemic racism in modern America.
