NC Water Fight: Black Counties Targeted. Data Centers Blamed. Gullah Geechee Land Fight
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖North Carolina's Senate Bill 214, Section 5, enables white-majority Franklin County to condemn water and property from Black-majority Halifax, Warren, and Vance counties without local approval, primarily for water-intensive data centers.
- ❖Mayor Mandelle Robinson of Enfield, NC, labels this bill a civil rights issue, highlighting its potential to set a dangerous precedent for resource seizure and its immunity from gubernatorial veto.
- ❖The Gullah Geechee community in South Carolina is demanding the return of 7,000 acres of ancestral plantation land, citing the broken promise of '40 acres and a mule' and ongoing profit from their ancestors' stolen labor.
- ❖Activists Marcus McDonald and Akua Paige call for public support, solidarity statements, and direct action to pressure plantations to return land or provide compensation, with a 40-day negotiation deadline set for June 8th.
- ❖The Sasha Center in Detroit focuses on preventing intimate partner violence by promoting healthy masculinity, creating safe spaces for Black men to be vulnerable, and dismantling patriarchal and misogynistic norms.
- ❖Educators are urged to believe students reporting abuse, address power dynamics, and teach about consent and healthy relationship 'red flags' versus 'green flags' from a young age.
Insights
1North Carolina Water & Land Grab for Data Centers
North Carolina's Senate Bill 214, specifically Section 5, grants Franklin County (70% white) the power to condemn and acquire water and property from three Black-majority counties—Halifax (56% Black), Warren, and Vance—without the consent of their elected officials. This is driven by the significant water demands of new data centers, each consuming up to 2.5 million gallons daily, amidst a historic drought.
Mayor Mandelle Robinson of Enfield, NC, detailed Senate Bill 214 and its implications, stating, 'It is Senate Bill 214 and particularly section five which basically strips the right of North Carolina majority black three of North Carolina majority black counties... without the consent or approval of elected officials in said counties.'
2Gullah Geechee Demand for Ancestral Land Reparations
The Gullah Geechee community in South Carolina is demanding the return of over 7,000 acres of ancestral plantation land, which they argue was originally promised as reparations after slavery (Special Field Order No. 15, or '40 acres and a mule') but was later rescinded. These plantations continue to generate millions in profit from tourism and events, which activists describe as 'getting married at a crime scene.'
Akua Paige explained, 'It's not really like we're asking we're asking for our reparations. is really what we're as demanding that Davis return what was what was already rightfully ours and what was stolen from us.' Marcus McDonald cited Middleton Plantation making over $9 million in 2021.
3Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Through Healthy Masculinity and Trauma Healing
The Sasha Center in Detroit emphasizes a prevention-focused approach to intimate partner violence, particularly within the Black community. They advocate for fostering healthy masculinity by creating safe, vulnerable spaces for Black men to discuss trauma and societal pressures, rather than solely focusing on 'toxic masculinity.' This approach aims to dismantle patriarchy and misogyny, which are seen as deeply rooted in historical traumas like lynching and the commodification of Black women's bodies.
Omari Barksdale stated, 'We tend to lean more in the direction of focusing on building and modeling healthy masculinity... we focus more on giving them things that they can use as tools.' Kale Lima added, 'We have not had a chance to unpack the trauma of lynching in this country and the trauma of women not even having an opportunity and girls to navigate and have autonomy of their bodies.'
Lessons
- Contact North Carolina state senators to oppose Senate Bill 214, Section 5, which threatens Black-majority counties' water and property rights.
- Support the Gullah Geechee community's demand for land reparations by making solidarity statements, attending mass meetings (May 15th at Avery Research Center), and advocating for banning plantation weddings.
- Parents and educators should initiate open conversations with young people about healthy relationships, consent, and body autonomy, teaching proper terminology and identifying 'red flags' in dating dynamics.
Community Action Against Resource Exploitation
Sound the Alarm: Publicize discriminatory legislation (e.g., NC Senate Bill 214) through media and community networks, highlighting its civil rights implications and potential for setting dangerous precedents.
Mobilize Direct Action: Organize protests and public gatherings (e.g., Raleigh Capital on April 28th) to demonstrate community opposition and pressure legislators.
Demand Reparations: Support communities (e.g., Gullah Geechee) in demanding the return of stolen ancestral lands or equitable compensation, leveraging international declarations against crimes against humanity.
Challenge Exploitative Practices: Advocate for policy changes like banning 'plantation weddings' and ensuring accurate historical interpretation at sites that profit from past injustices.
Build Coalitions: Foster grassroots support, seek solidarity statements from organizations and families, and engage with descendants and local leaders to collectively strategize and steward reclaimed resources.
Quotes
"This is tragic and it's also as American as apple pie."
"Unhealed men are dangerous. Not just to ourselves, but to the people who love and surround us most. And too often that's black women and our children."
"Violence against women, as we know, is not a woman's issue. It's a man's issue that primarily impacts women."
Q&A
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