Slave Descendants Claim Victory as Georgia High Court Blocks Threat to Island

Georgia's Supreme Court ruled in favor of Black landowners on Tuesday, reinstating the voice of the descendants of freed slaves in a significant zoning dispute affecting one of the last Gullah-Geechee communities. The court unanimously overturned a lower ruling that blocked a referendum aimed at reevaluating a zoning ordinance amended by McIntosh County officials two years ago. Residents of Sapelo Island had expressed concerns about potential tax hikes stemming from the amendments that allowed larger homes in Hogg Hummock, a historically rich enclave. Last year, over 2,300 registered voters supported a petition for a referendum, which the county later contested in court, deeming the vote illegal. The high court deemed that the previous judgment misinterpreted the state's home rule provisions regarding zoning. Justice John Ellington emphasized that the electorate has the authority to challenge zoning ordinances, affirming residents' rights to safeguard their cultural heritage in a community recognized for its historical significance on the National Register of Historic Places. (Photo: Wikipedia Commons)