Image: This past summer, students in Dr. Nik Heynen’sservice-learning geography course, “AthensUrban Food Collective” and students from Dr.Jennifer Jo Thompson’s “Food SystemSustainability, Security, and Resilience” coursejoined Spelman University students for a servicelearning trip to Sapelo Island. The 18 studentsspent the day working on a plot of land in theSalwater Geechee’s Hog Hammock Community. The students planted an estimated 1,500 seedlings sourced from UGA’s studentcommunity farm, UGArden. These crops will be grown to support SOLO—Save Our LegacyOurself, a nonprofit organization with the mission to preserve the heritage and culture of theSaltwater Geechee on the island. Maurice Bailey, the president and CEO of SOLO, hopesthis project will start a conversation between Sapelo and the greater community. “The people on Sapelo have a lot going on, but nobodyknows we’re here or knows our struggle. We are proudSaltwater Geechee people, and our heritage needs to bepreserved. This place is like nowhere else,” said MauriceBailey. Sapelo Island, one of Georgia’s 15 barrier islands, ishome to the largest and most intact community ofGullah/Geechee in the U.S. However, because there aremore job opportunities off-island, the younger generationsof Saltwater Geechee are moving away, and HogHammock’s current population of 29 is dwindling.There is more work to be done for Sapelo Island, and while these agricultural projects areimportant, a large part of Bailey’s work with SOLO has been traveling throughout Georgia toraise awareness and advocate for the Hog Hammock community and the preservation of theisland. “There is the agriculture part of things, but it’s also opened doors to other institutes andsimilar-minded people,” Bailey said. “UGA has more reach and more privilege. It’s allowedus to get into places we had not been able to get into and created more opportunities forus. The more people outside of Sapelo who know what’s going on, the better chance wehave.”
