More than 100 businesses, organizations, creatives, faith leaders, and community members have signed the Sankofa Solidarity Statement in support of reparative justice efforts in Charleston and the Lowcountry.
More than 100 businesses, organizations, creatives, faith leaders, and community members have signed the Sankofa Solidarity Statement in support of reparative justice efforts in Charleston and the Lowcountry.
- Sankofa Solidarity Statement -
We, the undersigned businesses, organizations, and community members, stand in support of the Charleston Reparations Taskforce and Gullah Geechee community members in their call for the transfer of over 7,000 acres of former plantation land, including Middleton, Magnolia, and Boone Hall plantations into permanent Gullah Geechee stewardship.
These lands hold the history of enslavement, extraction, and generational harm, while continuing to generate wealth today. We affirm that acknowledgment alone is not enough, and that this moment calls for material repair.
The ceding of this land represents a transformative opportunity for the region. Under Gullah Geechee stewardship, over 7,000 acres could allow for community-controlled economic development while supporting families facing displacement through fixed, affordable housing. It creates the conditions for intergenerational teaching, cultural preservation, and localized, sustainable agriculture to ensure families have access to nutrient dense foods. Ultimately, what is to be done on the land should be determined by the Gullah Geechee community, ensuring that development remains in their hands.
We urge the respective plantation owners to enter into good faith dialogue and to take meaningful steps toward land transfer and reparative justice.
SIGNATORIES
The following individuals, businesses, organizations, and community
members have publicly signed
The Sankofa Statement:
Umami Me
QT Camp
Famous Adventures Summer Camp
*McDonald Family - Boone Hall Enslaved Descendants*
Isis Moon
Ngo'chee Tribe
JD & Cynthia Wong - Ice Cream Makers
Bozzelli and Sons Heating
The Casagrande Family
Antcreatedthat Productions
Altered State Cofee
LoQuashaJamay Custom Designs
*Routh Family - Middleton Descendants*
Meyer Vogl Gallery
NOTURPLACE
The Community Stoop
Gunnar lee Tattoos
The Cake Farmer
The Lutz Family
Brittany Ora Family
Redux Contemporary Art Center
Multiplicity Media
Gullah Renaissance
Lovebird
Campell-Moore Family
Bintu Atelier
Everyday Peoples doji - Music
Carey Crochet
J. Stark
Ezell Family
The Davis Family
DJ Blacksmith - Global Sounds
Hap Blends 2 Good Barbershop
Tonya Nicole - Professional Singer
Guevera Family
That Art Nerd LLC
Julia Pagán Hats
Bàir da Brù: an Independent Studio
Adesso Entertainment
Heroes Never Die
High Vibe Herbals
Opal + Onyx Hair Salon
*Nate Williams Family - Middleton Descendants*
Tyrie Young - Charleston Rapper of the Year 2022
WTRR LLC Mobile Detailing & Property Cleaning
Leslie Jackson Family
Tzipporah Beauty Salon
Sabree's Gullah Art Gallery
Vanity Carolina Core
Gyula Thomas Art
King Cutler
*Valerie Bowens Family - Drayton Enslaved Descendants*
Ferette House
Hammer & Bell
TINYISPOWERFUL
Sightsee Coffee
Williams Family
*Mel Family - Middleton Descendants*
EOTO Inc 501(c) (3)
Bambi - Professional Singer
New Leaf Landscape Construction
Tyquan Morton - Filmmaker
She. Reads.Alot
Sunflower Collective Outdoors
Botany Bay Eco Tours
Sol Creations
*Melvin Family - Middleton Enslaved Descendants*
Signed, Danielle
Brooks Family
Pen Wallace - Gullah Geechee Visual Artists
Sunflower Collective
Rachell Family
LMC Studios
United Front of Charleston
H3 Films
G Is For Gullah
Southern Canvas
Sierra Waters
Blue Hour Charleston
Femi Soma - Artist
50501SC-Charleston
50501SC-Summerville
Union Southern Service Workers
Omar Muhammad Family
*Charlotte Drayton Family - Drayton Enslaved Descendants*
Hampton Park Healing Co
Cynthia Johnson - SC Attorney
Shakeisha Young Family
Will Rowe & Emily Thrift
Top Tier Media Group LLC
Summerville Support Network
Dhember Family
Darius Ishmael - Entertainment & Photogrpahy
Silbernagel Family
Elaina Ruth - Chef Instructor & Master Gardener
Amethyst Ganaway - Award Winning Chef & Writer
Shakiesha Young Family
Flora Luna Sound Healing
Swank Bakery
Food Not Bombs Charleston
DJ Dope D LLC
Green Family
Dragon Creek Farm
A$iah Mae - Charleston Poet Lauruate
Divine Tempo
Hoang Vi Ton Family
Da Geechie Poet
ADD YOUR SUPPORT
Join us as we call for accountability, preservation, and repair by signing on to the solidarity statement.