Projects
Progress to date
SICARS has completed several projects over the course of our time and we are working on many more. Some notable accomplishments include our agricultural program (see below), developing a land-use plan, completing restoration of the Raccoon Bluff First African Baptist Church (photos below), and building a multi-use facility to house SICARS (photos below) among many others. We have also completed the restoration of the historic Farmers Alliance Hall (photos below), added bathroom facilities to the Cultural Day site, and made significant progress toward our mission. We work on the maintenance of Behavior Cemetery, the Geechee/Gullah community’s 200 year-old cemetery. We have completed a Feasibility Study for a Cultural Village where Geechee/Gullah history, lore, and crafts will be demonstrated. As a community, we have maintained ownership of our land for over 130 years despite great obstacles in our way. While it is important to look at our success, it is also important to look toward the future and implement solutions to long-standing problems. We plan to re-implement a Community Land Trust to hold and protect land for our Geechee/Gullah Community. And, we will continue promoting cultural tourism events organized to educate the public about our Geechee Culture as well as promoting fundraising activities.
Annual Cultural Day coming October 22, 2022. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Agricultural Program
Purple Ribbon Sugarcane & Geechee Red Peas
SICARS is expanding cultivation of heritage crops, in the interest of revitalizing an economic base and gainful reasons for descendants to return to the land they call home. The descendant residents of Sapelo Island maintain knowledge and skills that have been passed down for generations — but if there is not a concerted effort to provide economic sustainability for the next generation of island residents, many fear this culture will disappear.
Support SICARS – Buy Cane Syrup
Purple Ribbon Sugarcane News Feed
Reviving a Crop and an African-American Culture, Stalk by Stalk (New York Times, 2020)
Raising Cane (Bitter Southerner, 2020)
Sweet (and Sticky) Redemption (Scalawag Magazine, 2020)
Southern Sugarcane Revival (Hakai Magazine, 2016)
The Return Of Purple Ribbon Sugarcane (Georgia Public Broadcasting, 2016)
Clemson joins effort to reintroduce sugarcane to Sapelo Island (Clemson Newstand, 2015)
Sapelo Island Sugarcane (Clemson University PSA, 2015)
How Slaves Shaped American Cooking (National Geographic, 2014)
Geechee Red Peas in the News and Media
An island’s future tied to farming crops from the past
How One Georgia Island is Fighting to Keep a Small Red Pea Alive
How Slaves Shaped American Cooking
Restoration of First African Baptist Church at Raccoon Bluff
The First African Baptist Church congregation was established in 1866, the year after the Civil War ended. The Raccoon Bluff Church was constructed using lumber that washed ashore after the 1898 hurricane. The church’s building was abandoned from 1968 until 2000, when it was restored thanks to our efforts collaborating with the state of Georgia and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Restoration of 1929 Farmer’s Alliance Hall
Construction of SICARS’ multi-use facilities building
Geechee Gullah Cultural Interpretive Village
Although, economic suppression has taken its toll on descendants on Sapelo Island due to the mass exodus in search of an economic opportunity, the creation of the Geechee Gullah Cultural Interpretive Village is imperative due to its ability to create a multitude of full time jobs for descendants. In recent years, generations leave the island in search of financial stability after high school graduation. We understand that family members will be more willing to come home with economic possibilities in place. Therefore, the Memorandum of Agreement between SICARS and the Sapelo Island Heritage Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Georgia that was signed July 1, 2008 has been a huge leap forward for the Geechee Gullah Nation on Sapelo.
This memorandum calls for the development of a Cultural Interpretive Village at SICARS expense, with the State of Georgia conveying 25 acres (valued at $5 million dollars) for the village site, provided SICARS could raise the capital and construct Phase I within 2 years of signing the memorandum. With the land in place, our efforts are now focused on the fundraising for the $1,632,000.00 necessary to construct the Geechee Gullah Cultural Interpretive Village. As we continue to strive for success, we have not yet aligned ourselves with any type of large funding sources (endowments, philanthropist, etc.) to assist us in acquiring the necessary capital to begin construction. In that sense, EVERY effort is appreciated.
SICARS has launched its capital campaign for the construction capital for the Geechee Gullah Cultural Interpretive Village to be nestled in the Hogg Hummock Historic District on Sapelo Island. Additionally, a slide show and virtual tour of the proposed Geechee Gullah Cultural Interpretive Village is viewable below.