Just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, the island of St. Helena off the coast of South Carolina was rocked when a gunman opened fire on a crowded restaurant, killing at least four people and injuring nearly two dozen more. While a mass shooting is devastating for any community, for the citizens of the island’s Gullah/Geechee Nation, the attack was particularly heart-wrenching.
A Gullah/Geechee celebration turns to mourning
The day before the shooting, the Gullah/Geechee Nation, led by Chieftess Queen Quet, celebrated the preservation of their land and culture, both of which are continuously under threat by property developers and the larger political system.
“What should have been a date that I will always remember as the day that we celebrated our recent victory protecting St. Helena Island’s Cultural Protection Overlay District is now overshadowed by community heartache and pain,” Queen Quet, whose full name is Queen Quet Marquetta L. Goodwine, told Straight Arrow News.
The day’s events had been marked by rain, but that didn’t stop St. Helena Island’s Gullah/Geechee Nation from coming together to celebrate. At the same time, however, Queen Quet said she knew something about the day wasn’t right…