Charleston Reparations Task Force and Gullah Geechee Descendants Demand 7,000 Acres and $9M

Source: ABC News 4 (April 30, 2026) & BLM Grassroots (April 24, 2026)

On April 22, 2026, the Charleston Reparations Task Force issued a formal demand for the transfer of over 7,000 acres from three of South Carolina’s most prominent historic plantations — Middleton Place, Boone Hall, and Magnolia Plantation — to permanent Gullah Geechee stewardship. The task force gave the plantation owners a 40-day ultimatum to respond and enter formal dialogue toward land transfer. The proposed territory would be designated as a Gullah Geechee Reparations Reservation, focused on affordable housing, cultural preservation, sustainable agriculture, and economic development for descendants of enslaved Africans.

BLM Charleston chapter lead and task force member Marcus McDonald, who is a direct descendant of people enslaved at Boone Hall Plantation, stated: “It’s time to move past symbolic gestures.”