Latest news with #GullahGeechee
USA Today
18 hours ago
- USA Today
Why Charleston is the family trip even your teens will love
'Experience America' is a five-part series showcasing often overlooked destinations and experiences in our backyard. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can click here to fill out this quick form. My kids groan if when I bring up educational opportunities outside of school, but they were like sponges soaking up history on a family trip to Charleston, South Carolina. The picturesque port city embraces its past and readily shares it with visitors, though not in a way that feels like schoolwork. 'Coming to Charleston, getting to actually see and feel these historic sites ... (you) really just get a deeper understanding of what life would have looked like in Antebellum Charleston, the Deep South, or even Colonial America, depending on what block of the city that you're on at that time,' said Derek Evenhouse, general manager and tour guide with Old South Carriage Company. Charleston may be known for its Southern charm, but there's a lot more to learn in this city, as my family discovered. Is Charleston one of the oldest cities? Charleston is the oldest and largest city in South Carolina, according to the city, which was founded as a British colony in 1670. "A lot of the tourism is based on the historical preservation of both our city and the heritage,' Evenhouse said, noting that as other cities tore down structures to modernize, 'Some really forward-thinking individuals put in some pretty strict preservation laws about some of these historic sites.' Our family took one of Old South's horse-drawn carriage tours to get a feel for the city and its stories. More than dozen different companies offer guided tours by certified guides. What was the role of Charleston in slavery? Charleston was a major port in the slave trade. 'Gadsden's Wharf is the last and most important disembarkation point for enslaved Africans in North America,' according to the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission's Green Book of South Carolina. 'Completed in 1772 by slave labor, the wharf was most active between 1783 and 1808 when an estimated 100,000 African men, women, and children arrived and were sold into slavery.' Today, the International African American Museum sits on the site of the former wharf, reminding visitors of its history. The state-of-the art museum, which opened in 2023, is packed with powerful, thought-provoking exhibits, including tributes to the Gullah Geechee people of the region. I still think about the names and ages of people who perished along the Middle Passage, some kids younger than my own. Visitors will want to plan extra time for this museum, because there is so much to process. Conscientious travel: What to know before visiting places tied to slavery Do Gullah people still exist? Yes. 'We stretch from Jacksonville, Florida to Jacksonville, North Carolina,' said fifth-generation sweetgrass weaver and Gullah Geechee cultural historian Corey Alston. 'We're direct descendants of enslaved Africans." His family has been in the Charleston area for seven generations. He explained how his ancestors were brought over from Africa's rice coast and how their expertise and enslaved labor made Charleston one of the richest cities worldwide for a time. 'The traditions and techniques that we're keeping alive is based off of the way of survival after days of enslavement, using tools that were used during that time of enslavement as a continuous tool,' he said. Sweetgrass fanner baskets, for instance, were originally used for winnowing rice. Now they're sold in places like historic, open-air Charleston City Market, but they're still meant to be used. "I understand that we make them so pretty, you just want to look at it ... (but) using them is why they're going to last longer," Alston said. What to do in Charleston You can't help but be immersed in history in Charleston, which delighted my history buff husband and history major son. One of their top sites was Fort Sumter, upon which the first official shots were fired in the Civil War. It's now part of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. Visitors can still see fingerprints of some of the enslaved people who made Fort Sumter's bricks on its walls. We also visited the H.L. Hunley and got a feel of what it was like inside the first combat submarine to successfully sink an enemy warship. But not everything has to be educational. My youngest enjoyed the beach at nearby Isle of Palms, where we had sumptuous seafood at Wild Dunes Resort. My middle schooler loved shopping on King Street. I was enamored with the sea turtles at South Carolina Aquarium, which has a specialized care center for sea turtles hurt in the wild. There's so much to do. How many days is enough for Charleston? Visitors should plan for at least three days in Charleston. My family spent three days and nights there and felt like we could have stayed longer. We didn't visit any former plantations this trip, but next time, I'd like to visit Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant. Its website notes it's the only South Carolina plantation with a live presentation on Gullah culture, presented by Gullah people. My kids have already asked to go back. The reporter on this story received access to select experiences from Explore Charleston. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
Axios
12-06-2025
- General
- Axios
Survivors of Sapelo Island gangway collapse sue over structure's failure
Survivors and family members of victims in last year's gangway collapse on southeast Georgia's Sapelo Island have filed a lawsuit against the companies responsible for the structure's construction. Why it matters: Seven people died when the dock gangway failed last October during the annual Sapelo Cultural Day, which celebrates Gullah Geechee people and their heritage. Driving the news: The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Gwinnett County State Court against Stevens & Wilkerson Inc., Centennial Contractors Enterprises Inc., EMC Engineering Services Inc., and Crescent Equipment Co. Inc. Attorney Ben Crump and his co-counsel held a press conference Wednesday with people who survived the collapse and family members of those who died. Attorneys for the defendants were not listed in the Gwinnett County court system's online portal. What they're saying: Crump, who spoke at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park on Auburn Avenue, said they're suing "because this tragedy was totally preventable." "These seven people did not have to die on the Sapelo Island gangway dock if people would have put safety over money," he said. Catch up quick: The gangway at Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island collapsed around 3:50pm Oct. 19, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. About 20 people fell into the water. The seven who died were Jacqueline Crews Carter, 75; Cynthia Gibbs, 74; Carlotta McIntosh, 93; and Isaiah Thomas, 79, all of Jacksonville, Florida.; Atlanta residents Queen Welch, 76, and 73-year-old William Johnson Jr.; and Charles L. Houston, 77, of Darien. The intrigue: Years before the collapse, DNR officials expressed concerns about the gangway's structure, AJC reported, which was similar to one that collapsed in September 2022 in the southeast Georgia city of St. Mary's. Both gangways had been constructed by the same company, Crescent Equipment Co. The other side: Carrie González, a spokesperson for SSOE Group, an architect and engineering firm that owns Atlanta-based Stevens & Wilkinson, said in a statement the company can't comment on the litigation but is cooperating with the investigation. Survivor Regina Brinson said during Wednesday's press conference she struggles with guilt and nightmares, has trouble sleeping and has sought therapy. She and her uncle were helping another woman, who also died in the incident, cross the gangway when she heard a loud crack and suddenly dropped into the water. Brinson tried to rescue her uncle, but she said he was pulling her underwater. She said she made the painful decision to release her uncle's grip on her so she could make it to the surface.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sapelo Island gangway collapse lawsuit filed
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Emotions were high Wednesday during a press conference where victims relived the Sapelo Island gangway collapse that happened last October. Legal counsel announced that there will be a lawsuit and that they plan to hold everyone they deem liable accountable. 'I'm still having nightmares when I go to sleep, when I'm on the edge of the bed, it feels like I'm on a cliff or something,' George J. Francis said. Justice and advocacy were two words emphasized during Wednesday's press conference regarding the Sapelo Island gangway collapse. It happened on what was supposed to be a joyous celebration of Gullah Geechee culture. Seven people died in the accident, and many more were injured. 'It was a day that started out of excitement because I've never been to Sapelo,' victim Janice Carroll said. 'I was going to experience something new to a place that I had never been before. I was excited. Coming back and going back towards the ramp was, you know, oh, I had a great time. But once the incident happened, it was just like my whole point of view just changed.' More than 20 plaintiffs and six defendants are listed in the 100-page civil said that the defendants failed to ensure that the 80-foot gangways design was inspected, verified and approved by engineering professionals to confirm it could safely hold a certain number of people. They said it was dangerously under-designed and poorly constructed. Attorney Chad Mance represents the victims and said the tragedy could've been prevented. 'It kind of forced me to deal with the looming ghosts of the past here in Coastal Georgia,' Mance said. 'And one of those is the inequitable distribution of resources to indigenous peoples here. And that really is the huge elephant in the room in this case, and had resources been equitably doled out, we would have never had this kind of tragedy.' Victims are asking for compensation for their injuries and losses. Carroll and Francis said they couldn't believe what they were witnessing; they said no amount of money will ever be able to take away that memory. 'The only thing I could see was the thing going down, and I said, 'Oh my god', you know, and then you find yourself up in that water pulling yourself up out of the water,' Carroll said. Francis said, 'I remember when it hit the water, I could see the people on the Meridian side from the ferry throwing out lifejackets, with the lifejackets the current was carrying them so no one could really grab them.' This lawsuit could end up in a jury trial if no settlements are reached. It could take up to two years before victims see some type of resolution or justice. WSAV will update the story as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- The Independent
Families of those killed in collapse of Georgia ferry dock sue companies that built it
Relatives of seven people who drowned in waters off a Georgia island after a ferry dock walkway collapsed announced Wednesday they filed a lawsuit against the companies that designed and built it. Dozens of people were standing on the metal walkway over the water between a ferry boat and a dock on Sapelo Island when it snapped in the middle. Many plunged into the water and got swept away by tidal currents, while others clung desperately to the hanging, fractured structure. The tragedy Oct. 19 struck as about 700 people visited Sapelo Island for a celebration of the tiny Hogg Hummock community founded by enslaved people who were emancipated after the Civil War. Reachable only by boat, it's one of the few Gullah-Geechee communities remaining in the South, where slaves worked on isolated island plantations retained much of their African heritage. 'It was supposed to be a celebration of Black pride, but it became a day of great, great, great Black loss of humanity and life,' civil rights attorney Ben Crump, one of several lawyers behind the lawsuit, told an Atlanta news conference. 'We're filing this lawsuit to speak to that tragedy.' Attorneys for the families of those killed and more than three dozen survivors say the 80-foot (24-meter) walkway was weak because of a lack of structural reinforcement, poor welding and failure by the Georgia firm that built it to follow design plans. The walkway was 'so poorly designed and constructed that any competent construction professional should have recognized the flimsy and unstable nature of the gangway,' the lawsuit says. Regina Brinson, one of the suing survivors, said she was on the crowded walkway when she heard a loud crack and saw family friend Carlotta McIntosh plunge into the water holding her walker. Brinson and her uncle, Isaiah Thomas, also fell. Brinson recalled prying her uncle's fingers from her shirt to avoid being dragged underwater. Both Thomas and McIntosh died. 'The pain doesn't get any easier whatsoever,' Brinson told the Atlanta news conference. Kimberly Wood said she tumbled from the collapsed walkway clutching her 2-year-old daughter. Her older girl, 8, clung to the dangling walkway's railing. Wood said she managed to tread water until she reached a life preserver tossed from the ferry boat. Her older daughter was rescued and treated for wounds to her hand, said Wood, who had an injured shoulder. 'I'm shaking now just taking about it,' said Wood, another plaintiff. The lawsuit targets four private contractors hired to design and rebuild the ferry dock and walkway for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The project was finished in 2021. The walkway was fabricated by McIntosh County business Crescent Equipment Co. Its attorney, Clinton Fletcher, declined to comment. The project's general contractor, Virginia-based Centennial Contractors Enterprises, said by email that it doesn't comment on pending litigation. Architecture and engineering firms also named as defendants did not immediately comment. The lawsuit doesn't target the Department of Natural Resources or any other Georgia state agency. It says the department relied on its private contractors to ensure the walkway was safely built, which was "beyond the scope of the DNR's internal expertise and qualifications.' The agency told The Associated Press last year that the walkway should have been able to support the weight of 320 people. About 40 people were standing on it when it snapped. 'There was supposed to be a certified professional engineer that signed off on that part of the project and that was neglected," said Chadrick Mance, a Savannah attorney representing nine of the injured. Filed in Gwinnett County State Court in metro Atlanta, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for negligence, wrongful deaths and personal injuries. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation by the state officials, said Haley Chafin, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources. State Attorney General Chris Carr also tapped a private engineering firm to perform an independent investigation. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. ___
Associated Press
11-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Families of those killed in collapse of Georgia ferry dock sue companies that built it
ATLANTA (AP) — Relatives of seven people who drowned in waters off a Georgia island after a ferry dock walkway collapsed announced Wednesday they filed a lawsuit against the companies that designed and built it. Dozens of people were standing on the metal walkway over the water between a ferry boat and a dock on Sapelo Island when it snapped in the middle. Many plunged into the water and got swept away by tidal currents, while others clung desperately to the hanging, fractured structure. The tragedy Oct. 19 struck as about 700 people visited Sapelo Island for a celebration of the tiny Hogg Hummock community founded by enslaved people who were emancipated after the Civil War. Reachable only by boat, it's one of the few Gullah-Geechee communities remaining in the South, where slaves worked on isolated island plantations retained much of their African heritage. 'It was supposed to be a celebration of Black pride, but it became a day of great, great, great Black loss of humanity and life,' civil rights attorney Ben Crump, one of several lawyers behind the lawsuit, told an Atlanta news conference. 'We're filing this lawsuit to speak to that tragedy.' Attorneys for the families of those killed and more than three dozen survivors say the 80-foot (24-meter) walkway was weak because of a lack of structural reinforcement, poor welding and failure by the Georgia firm that built it to follow design plans. The walkway was 'so poorly designed and constructed that any competent construction professional should have recognized the flimsy and unstable nature of the gangway,' the lawsuit says. Regina Brinson, one of the suing survivors, said she was on the crowded walkway when she heard a loud crack and saw family friend Carlotta McIntosh plunge into the water holding her walker. Brinson and her uncle, Isaiah Thomas, also fell. Brinson recalled prying her uncle's fingers from her shirt to avoid being dragged underwater. Both Thomas and McIntosh died. 'The pain doesn't get any easier whatsoever,' Brinson told the Atlanta news conference. Kimberly Wood said she tumbled from the collapsed walkway clutching her 2-year-old daughter. Her older girl, 8, clung to the dangling walkway's railing. Wood said she managed to tread water until she reached a life preserver tossed from the ferry boat. Her older daughter was rescued and treated for wounds to her hand, said Wood, who had an injured shoulder. 'I'm shaking now just taking about it,' said Wood, another plaintiff. The lawsuit targets four private contractors hired to design and rebuild the ferry dock and walkway for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The project was finished in 2021. The walkway was fabricated by McIntosh County business Crescent Equipment Co. Its attorney, Clinton Fletcher, declined to comment. The project's general contractor, Virginia-based Centennial Contractors Enterprises, said by email that it doesn't comment on pending litigation. Architecture and engineering firms also named as defendants did not immediately comment. The lawsuit doesn't target the Department of Natural Resources or any other Georgia state agency. It says the department relied on its private contractors to ensure the walkway was safely built, which was 'beyond the scope of the DNR's internal expertise and qualifications.' The agency told The Associated Press last year that the walkway should have been able to support the weight of 320 people. About 40 people were standing on it when it snapped. 'There was supposed to be a certified professional engineer that signed off on that part of the project and that was neglected,' said Chadrick Mance, a Savannah attorney representing nine of the injured. Filed in Gwinnett County State Court in metro Atlanta, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for negligence, wrongful deaths and personal injuries. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation by the state officials, said Haley Chafin, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources. State Attorney General Chris Carr also tapped a private engineering firm to perform an independent investigation. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
