Land dispute pits Turner vs. Gullah
By JANITA POE
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
Billionaire CNN founder Ted Turner, who owns
more than 1.7 million acres of land, is waging a
legal battle over 68 acres on St. Helena Island,
S.C., claimed by descendants of the culturally
celebrated Gullah people.
According to his lawyer W. Foster Gaillard, Turner
filed a lawsuit against Lands End Woodlands Inc.
last year because he wants to protect his
investment.
"We're just trying to clear up the title to his
property and resolve, basically, a boundary line
dispute," said Gaillard, of the Charleston-based
firm of Buist, Moore, Smythe & McGee. "We think
the case has merit and that when the court hears
all the facts and evidence, it will rule in Mr.
Turner's favor."
But heirs to property bought by 47 Gullah men in
1920 claim the land is theirs. The Gullah
descended from the slaves who inhabited the sea
islands. Because of their isolation, they were able
to maintain a distinct Creole-African language, music and way of life.
The heirs say they have a deed and plat for the disputed property as well as a 1996 court order showing
the land belongs to them.
"It's common knowledge in the area who owns the property," said Gloria Cartwright, secretary of the
Lands End group, which is composed of many of the heirs. "We have plats from the 1920s, when this
was originally done."
The land at issue is located on St. Helena, which is about 60 miles from the popular Hilton Head Island
resort. According to court documents in Beaufort, S.C., Turner says the wooded land is part of 298 acres
he acquired for recreational use in 1979. Lands End claims the land is part of the 320 acres for which
their ancestors paid $3,200 in 1920, also for recreational use and family reunions.
Cartwright said some in her Lands End group fear Turner envisions using the land for more than
recreation. Since the 1960s, the sea islands have experienced intense commercial development.
St. Helena remains largely rural with a population of more than 9,500, including 5,300 African-Americans.
"We've tried to keep the island from becoming another Hilton Head," Cartwright said. "It's basically a
place we can enjoy without having the hassle of a resort-type environment.
"I don't understand it," she said of Turner's lawsuit. "To us, 68 acres is a lot of land; to him, that's
insignificant to his land holdings."
Turner spokeswoman Maura Donlan said early Wednesday that Turner "is interested in ensuring that this
property dispute is resolved fairly in a court of law. Like all of his property, he hopes that the property will
be stewarded in the most ecologically sensitive manner possible."
In addition, Donlan said Turner has no interest in acquiring any additional land surrounding the 68 acres
that he understands belongs to him. She also said he has no plans to subdivide his property.
Gaillard said Turner knew nothing about the heritage of the Lands End people. "There is one defendant
named in this suit, Lands End Woodland Inc., which is a South Carolina corporation," Gaillard said.
"We have no knowledge as to the shareholders of this corporation or as to the number of shareholders."
Turner has been called the nation's largest private landowner by Worth magazine, The New York Times
and other publications. His holdings include 15 ranches in six Western and Midwestern states, according
to AOL Time Warner, of which he is vice chairman.
The sea island property dispute comes amid fresh analysis about African-American land ownership.
In December, an Associated Press examination showed land ownership by blacks had dropped to 1.1
million acres, with another 1.07 million acres in part-ownership. That's down from 15 million acres in 1910,
the study said. A 1982 federal report found that black Americans were losing land at a rate 2 1/2 times
the rate of white people, according to the AP.
Groups including Penn Center on St. Helena and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives have
launched land assistance and educational programs to help blacks hold on to inherited land.
Ralph Paige, executive director of the Southern Cooperatives federation, said his group has assisted
African-Americans in land disputes and management concerns since the mid-1980s.
"This is not a new issue," said Paige, whose Atlanta-based organization serves South Carolina and other
parts of the Southeast. "Many black people have lost land because they have not been able to prove it
against people with more resources, and Mr. Turner has resources."
-- News services contributed to this article. |
