A year has passed since the tragic incident where seven lives were lost due to a gangway accident during a Gullah Geechee Cultural Day on Sapelo Island.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Saturday marked a somber milestone, commemorating one year since the gangway catastrophe on Sapelo Island in coastal Georgia, which plunged over 20 individuals into the water and claimed the lives of seven people, including four from Jacksonville.
The victims were honoring Gullah Geechee heritage when the disaster occurred, prompting a Jacksonville city council member to consider a lasting tribute to the Sapelo Seven.
“Though a year has passed, we have a lifetime to honor their memory,” remarked Jacksonville City Council Member Rahman Johnson.
Throughout the past year, Johnson has dedicated time to understanding the lives of those lost in the Sapelo Island tragedy, seeking meaningful ways to honor their memories.
“We’ve delved deeper into learning about Sapelo Island,” Johnson explained. “We’ve explored the reasons behind their presence there and the cultural significance. Our focus now is on celebration and remembrance.”
Johnson doesn’t want to lose sight of what the Sapelo Seven were doing when the gangway collapsed – they were at Sapelo Island for a Gullah Geechee Cultural Day.
“What it was is to really celebrate a part of American history that in some ways is forgotten,” said Johnson.
According to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Gullah Geechee refers to descendants of enslaved African people, who created a new culture that mixed African traditions to create a unique blend of language, art, food and music.
That history is already honored at Freedom Park in East Arlington, and Johnson wants to add to that in honor of the Sapelo Seven – with a big boulder.
“We wanted something that would speak to legacy,” said Johnson. “How much more different can we be than stone?”
Johnson launched a survey for folks to weigh in on what they’d like to see inscribed on the plaque that will go with the boulder.
That plaque will also have a QR code visitors will be able to scan to take them to a deeper dive into Gullah Geechee culture from the Jacksonville public library.
“I’m glad we’re able to find a way so their families can come to see their sacrifice wasn’t in vain,” said Johnson. “It allows us, whether they be black folk, white folk or candy-striped folk to come and say, ‘This is a part of our history we can celebrate.”
While the City of Jacksonville works on the monument for the Sapelo Seven, there have been a lot of other developments in the year since this happened.
An investigation into the collapse, new gangways installed and a lawsuit filed by the survivors all within the past year.
Come next month, Johnson hopes that boulder will be installed to go along with these Gullah Geechee plaques.
