The Tell-It Report: Georgia’s Gullah Geechee Residents Have a Lot at Stake With Court Decision

The people of Sapelo Island are fighting to protect both their voting rights and their land in the face of a new zoning ordinance.

(Screenshot WTOC via YouTube)

In Gullah Geechee communities, a "tell-it" was a designated lookout, community warning system and the most trusted source for news and information. The Tell-It Report is ContrabandCamp’s weekly roundup of the Black stories that deserve more attention — from politics to entertainment.

If Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” showed us anything this week, it’s how far white folks will go to take any and everything from Black Americans. The Gullah Geechee residents of Sapelo Island in Georgia are facing just that as they go toe-to-toe with the McIntosh County board of commissioners in a Georgia Supreme Court case to protect their land and their vote.

In Texas, Karmelo Anthony’s family has moved him to an “undisclosed location to ensure his safety” after being threatened and harassed at their home.

Read more about these stories below:

Gullah Geechee could face voter suppression, displacement in Georgia case

The Gullah Geechee residents of Sapelo Island are fighting to protect both their voting rights and their land. A Georgia Supreme Court case could determine their future and set a precedent for voter suppression in other places.

The case involves zoning concerns that could force out the residents of McIntosh County, a place they’ve called home for centuries. In 2023, the board of commissioners adopted an ordinance that would more than double the size of homes, taking them from 1,400 to 3,000 square feet, in the historic Hog Hammock, or Hogg Hummock,​​ neighborhood. Some residents say the rezoning change could raise taxes, making it unaffordable for them to stay.

“The new redlining says that you zone some poor folk or less fortunate folk, less economic folk out of their land value as an increase,” resident Reginald Hall told Capital B. We’ve been located as family members, descendants of enslaved people, for 229 years this year.”

More than 2,000 residents signed a petition to vote on the commissioner’s decision, according to the outlet. During early voting in October 2024, a lower court stopped the vote after the commissioners filed a lawsuit.

Sapelo Island residents Barbara Bailey, Christopher Bailey, and Stanley Walker filed an appeal, on behalf of 2,300 voters, stating that city officials suppressed their votes in the referendum.

On Wednesday morning, Hall and dozens of others — including descendants, advocates such as Black Voters Matter, and state representatives — joined together at the Georgia Supreme Court, where nine justices heard oral arguments in the case.

A central part of the hearing was the Home Rule provision, which constitutionally states that amendments and repeals of local ordinances can be initiated by a petition filed to a probate court judge. The judge then decides if a special election is warranted.

This isn’t the first battle residents have had with the county. After Sapelo residents held their annual festival celebrating their heritage, seven people aged 73 to 93 died when a gangway that residents had been complaining about collapsed, according to the Associated Press.

Capital B reports that “they’ve endured government neglect, property tax hikes, and white developers eyeing the land, known for its beaches and climate, as a place to build luxury resorts and golf courses.” Hall remarked that it’s something “they’ve done from Hilton Head all the way down to Florida” in regards to Black communities.

The Gullah Geechee people are direct descendants of enslaved West Africans. According to WABE, fewer than 50 Black residents live within the Hog Hammock area today.

Parthenia Myers, 47, a resident of Sapelo, told Capital B that they will continue to fight to preserve and maintain their livelihood and land.

“These islands used to be completely Black owned, and when you go there now, all you pretty much see is a sign that tells you what was, as opposed to the living culture,” she said. “Sapelo Island is one of the last intact Gullah Geechee communities in North America. It’s important that she is preserved for her people now and for her future generations.”

Karmelo Anthony moved to 'undisclosed location' after family receives threats, harassment

Karmela Anthony has been moved to an “undisclosed location” after his family expressed concerns about his safety, according to Fox 4 News.

The family reports that they have been receiving an “alarming increase in death threats, continued harassment, and physical intimidation” leading up to the trial, social justice organization Next Generation Action Network said in a statement.

Anthony, a 17-year-old Black teen, has been charged with the murder of Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old white teen, after the two got into an altercation at a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas on April 2.

According to witnesses, Anthony sat under the tent at Memorial High School, where Metcalf attended, to avoid the rain. According to ABC News, Metcalf told Anthony to leave, which prompted a verbal altercation between the two. Anthony allegedly told Metcalf "touch me and see what happens," according to the police.

Anthony told a school resource officer that Metcalf “put his hands” on him, according to an arrest report. A witness told police that Metcalf pushed him to get him out of the tent, and Anthony then reached in his bag and stabbed him once in the chest and ran away. The arrest report states that Anthony allegedly told officials, “I’m not alleged. I did it.” The teen claims he acted in self-defense. He also asked, “Is he going to be OK?”

Anthony was arrested the day of the incident. He was released from jail on April 14 and is on house arrest with an ankle monitor after his bond was reduced from $1 million to $250,000. A NGAN representative told ABC News that they’ll be challenging Frisco ISD’s plans to expel Anthony a month before his high school graduation.

Anthony’s story has gained nationwide attention and garnered a polarizing response. It’s prompted racist threats and comments, misinformation and conservative backlash.

According to Fox 4, Anthony’s family has endured harassment that includes people visiting their home uninvited, loitering, false food deliveries, disturbing mailings and more.

Florida resident Jake Lang organized a rally at the stadium on April 19, according to Fox 4 News. Attendees held signs that read, “Protect White Americans,” “Demand Karmelo Anthony be put back in prison until trial,” “Peaceful protest,” and “Stop black violence on white Americans.” Lang, who was also charged in connection with the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, also admitted to breaking into Kuykendall Stadium and shared “the first ever footage of Austin Metcalf's blood stained on the stadium floor,” he wrote on X.

Officials told Fox 4 that they have filed trespassing charges against Lang for breaking into district property. Frisco Police told them that the incident is under investigation.

Kala Hayes, Anthony’s mother, spoke for the first time during a press conference held by NGAN on April 17. "Day by day, we have endured death threats," she said, noting that her husband had to take a leave of absence from his job for fear of what could happen to their family.

"I don't know why we are being targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial. Our son deserves the same rights under the law that everyone is afforded to," she said.