This is one of the things that the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island took an active part in supporting the community in getting this passes. Other groups such as the St. Helena Citizen's Advisory Council had continued to get the county to make sure the culture and heritage of St. Helena Island in Beaufort County, SC was recognized and protected, but there was a slow recognition coming forth. The Coalition was able to bring a lot of living and historical facts to the forefront and also stayed on top of showing how this heritage was important to those who are not Gullah as well. Thus, all these parties working together brought forth the CPO written about in this article for the "Gullah Sentinel" (thegullahsen@hargray.com) newspaper.

©1999 Marquetta L. Goodwine

Since the Africans that were kidnapped and brought to America were placed on this soil and they later became called by the names Gullah and Geechee, they have not been recognized by "the establishment" as knowledgable people. There are those unto this day that cannot speak Gullah again if they tried because someone who was actually ignorant to their language and heritage had enough control over them in educational and business arenas to tell them that they were ignorant because of the way they spoke. However, there is no connection between language and intellegence quotient i.e. "I.Q."

The pattern of education has begun and is slowly taking hold. Many scholars are now realizing that they are not even the experts on the Gullah community. The community members are the experts themselves. The full respect that the community members are due from "outside folk" and "becumyahs" is not completely evident, but it is in the making.

One of the things that has allowed a time to even come where any recognition would be provided has been the ability to come together and take a stand coupled wid mudda wit fuh kno win fuh do um. In the case of St. Helena Island, SC, there were numerous people that continued to stand in spite of what people felt the odds were against them and as a result. St. Helena is one of the few Sea Islands that still holds many of the last viable vestiges of Gullah culture.

After St. Helena citizens continued to come forth and their voice was heard repeatedly before the Beaufort County Council, government had to finally turn its gaze to look at, begin to understand, and accept that Gullah culture does exist and that in many ways, there would be no Beaufort without it.

On April 26, 1999 the final draft of the Beaufort County Zoning Ordinance was put together and Appendix C is the "Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) District. "For those areas that require additional cultural protection, the CPO District provides additional standards. The criteria for the delination of areas, which maybe, designated CPO, are:

• The omnipresence of an ethnic heritage
• Historic structures, settlements, and land use patterns
• Archeological sites
• Significant cultural features and sites"

This districting is being provided in order to protect St. Helena's "culturally significant resources." Thus, Restricted Access (gated) Communities are NOT allowed within it. Resorts and Golf Courses are also NOT allowed to be built on St. Helena as a result of this.

With these things being disallowed, it allows St. Helena that much more time to hold on to its rural nature and the heritage that has grown from the soil amidst the oak trees there. However, the most important "cultural resources" on this and other Sea Islands are the people. Without the REAL Gullahs and Geechees, there is no heritage and culture. Thus, although this zoning ordinance which is a precedent amongst districting standards is "sumtin' tuh shout 'bout!," the battle ain't over!!!!

Win wi ancesta dem bin duh sing, "Chiren go wey I sin dee. How shall I sin dee. I gwine sin de one by one....." Dem bin duh try fuh git wi tuh wey freedom an a betta life bin. We hafa sin we chiren bak home now cuz ain gwine be no betta place fuh um be at. Dem hafa hold pun disyah legasee wha bin fight fuh wid blood, sweat an tears. Win da las soul git bak tuh de soil, e ga truly be da "great gettin' up mawnin!"

Marquetta L. Goodwine is "the art-ivist"/Gullah Historian." She is the founder of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition. She would like all members of the St. Helena Island community to be aware that they have an opportunity to be a part of reviewing the Community Preservation District standards and can make their comments known in this process by attending community meetings on Wednesday nights at Seaside Center on Seaside Road on St. Helena Island at 6:30 pm. If you would like to reach her with comments or questions or to be part of preserving Gullah and Geechee culture, call (843)838-1171 or write GullGeeCo@aol.com or P O Box 1207 St. Helena Island SC 29920. "Mus tek cyare de root fuh heal de tree."