About Us
Hogg Hammock is the last intact Geechee/Gullah Community in the Sea Islands of Georgia and is comprised of direct descendants of slaves that were brought to Sapelo in 1802. Geechee/Gullah* people still maintain many elements of the unique West African culture, language, and traditions brought over from the “Rice Coast” many other of their ancestors continued on to the isolated Sea Islands from South Carolina to Northern Florida.
Our culture, history, and land are irreplaceable. Let’s preserve them.
Our Mission
Protect, preserve and sustain the Hog Hammock Community Sapelo Island, Ga Gullah Geechee culture through education, legislation and descendant engagement.
Our Vision
We envision a future where the Hog Hammock Community infrastructure and Sapelo Island historical sites are maintained and sustained for future generations. We also envision permanent state legislation to reduce or freeze property taxes for Sapelo Island descendant land owners.
Meet the Team
OUR PRESIDENT
Richard Banks is the President of Hogg Hammock Community Foundation Inc. Richard is a Fourth Generation Sapelo Island descendant. Richard grew up in Brunswick, Ga and on Sapelo Island, Georgia.
Richard’s appreciation and passion for Sapelo Island’s Hogg Hammock Community was nurtured by his father Melvin Banks Sr who was born and raised on Sapelo Island in the Lumber Landing Community.
Richard graduated from Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Georgia in the year of 1977 and joined the United States Army.
Richard is a Desert Storm Desert Shield Veteran and retired with the rank of First Sergeant after 21 years of service with the US Army.
Richard attended Columbia College where he earned a Bachelor degree in Business.
Before joining the Hog Hammock Community Foundation Richard served as Senior Military Services Coordinator at Fort Stewart, Georgia for The Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta VA Regional Office until his retirement in 2016.
Richard currently lives in Hinesville, Georgia and Sapelo Island, Georgia with his wife Beverly. They have one daughter and son-in-law. Both are ministers and business owners. Richard and Beverly attend Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church Hinesville, Georgia where he serves as a Deacon and Trustee Board member. They also serve as leaders of Mt. Zion Nursing Home Ministry.
RICHARD BANKS
OUR VICE PRESIDENT
Josiah "Jazz" Watts, is the Vice President of the Hog Hammock Community Foundation. He spent his youth growing up primarily in coastal Georgia between Sapelo Island and St. Simons Island. He credits much of his success in the arts with his parents. “My parents were my inspiration. They both came from extremely humble beginnings, but still managed to raise my brother, sister, and I with more love than I can ever be thankful for. Though they are both gone I always pay homage to them in the work that I do; whether with Sapelo or any other project that I write."
Josiah wrote and curated the 'The Sapelo Project'. It was directed by Theater Emory Artistic Director Janice Akers. A theater piece that integrates music, movement, spoken word, acting, and cinema to capture some of the culture and stories of Sapelo Island and the development of the Saltwater Geechee dialect, the history of enslavement on the island, and the melding influences of Arabic, English, Spanish and French.
"The Sapelo Project is a detailed interpretation of the lives of the direct ancestors of enslaved Africans brought from West Africa via the Middle Caicos to America. It is about a people surviving the horrors of one of the worst journeys in recorded human history to somehow build a unique way of life that still survives to this day. The Sapelo Project is a documentation of not only their perseverance, but also their ability to maintain their family traditions while under the very vestiges of slavery. It is a demonstration of how they maintained a foundation of family though they were enslaved. It is about how they maintained their African traditions day in and day out, and passed them along through many generations. It is about how they made music when they couldn't speak, how they danced in ways to feel, how they loved one another through it all." It is not just African history or even African-American history. It is American history. And it belongs to all of us.
