Examples of Land Loss on Hilton Head Island – The first map represents all of the Historic Gullah Neighborhoods. At one point the Gullah community owned roughly 3,500 acres. The second map demonstrates in pink the acreage that was left around the island by 2017. As of October 2023, there is less than 930 acres left.
For more information on Heirs Property here are several articles, videos and documentaries that explain the complexities of heirs property:
1) The 2023 CNN Story – 93 Year Old Great-Great- Grandmother Sued by Hilton Head Developers
Josephine Wright Family Reaches Settlement
2) The BET TV show, Disrupt & Dismantle, hosted by Soledad O’Brien, Season 1 Episode 3 – The Battle for Black Land, speaks specifically about the critical land loss on the world-class tourist destination, Hilton Head Island.
3) An excerpt from the BET TV show, Disrupt & Dismantle, hosted by Soledad O’Brien. In addition to the Jones family’s land loss story, here’s a clip from the after-show conversation from the episode of The Battle for Black Land ; which explains how heirs property was created, its legal complications, and the complexity that trying to resolve it faces.
4) The Showtime TV show, VICE News called How Property Law is Used to Appropriate Black Land.
5) The 2021 MSNBC story on How Gullah Geechee Families are Losing their Land and Wealth
6) NBC News Story – FEMA Changes Documents Rules For Families Living On Heirs’ Property
7) 2023 Article – Heirs’ Property is the Leading Cause of Black Involuntary Land Loss
8) Post & Courier Article – SC Shouldn’t Set Traps For Heirs’ Trying to Reclaim Property, Pay Taxes
9) News Article – Heirs’ Property is the Leading Cause of Black Involuntary Land Loss
10) Silver Dollar Road Documentary available on Amazon – This documentary, based on the 2019 ProPublica article, highlights the ways the legal system is exploited to limit land ownership in the Black community and further contributes to the racial wealth gap.
11) Documentary – Gaining Ground | The Fight for Black Land focuses on Black farmers, land loss, and heirs property issues.
