Week 33 – Preserving Heritage – St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition

The Harrington School celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year, and the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition celebrates its twenty-fourth! The Coalition was founded in October 2000 at the First African Baptist Church of St. Simons Island, bringing together property owners and citizens who wished to protect St. Simons’s African American history and community from new development on the island. Today, the Coalition continues with a related mission “to educate, preserve, and revitalize African American history and culture” through three goals: land loss prevention, historic preservation, and economic development.

The SSAAHC preserves African American history on St. Simons through a variety of initiatives, including programming like the annual Taste of Gullah event and historic tours of the island’s communities. Through this programming and other outreach, the SSAAHC serves an important function as both a resource for members of the existing community and a gateway for others to learn about its importance to St. Simons Island. The Mercer University Coastal Georgia Research Initiative specifically states that its work “effectively showcases the efforts of students and faculty focused on aiding the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition in preserving African-American history and historic sites on the Georgia coast.”

All of the previous elements discussed in this month’s weekly facts—oral histories, photos of structures from the Harrington Project, and Amy Roberts’s collection of African American funeral programs—contribute to the success of the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition. The SSAAHC has hosted researchers and their students, restored the Harrington School, and continues to serve as a vital resource for the promotion of our community’s African American history. To learn how you can become more involved with the work of the Coalition, visit this page to find information on becoming a member, volunteering, or donating.