Mr. Brayton Willis Chairman, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor

Multi-Use Greenway/Blueway Trail Project andLife Member, Brunswick County Branch, NAACP

Proposed Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Multi-Use

Greenway/Blueway TrailBrunswick County, North Carolina

“A pathway to Freedom”

Presentation for the

Brunswick Environmental Action TeamJanuary 4, 2021

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Between 1525 and 1866, 12.5 million Africans were shipped to the New World. 10.7 million survived the dreaded Middle Passage, disembarking in North America, the Caribbean and South America.

Almost 390,000 were transported directly to North America . . . .

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The Corridor was created to: • Recognize, sustain, and celebrate the important contributions made to

American culture and history by African Americans, known as the Gullah Geechee, who settled in the coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.

• Assist state and local governments and public and private entities in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida in interpreting the story of the Gullah Geechee and preserving Gullah Geechee folklore, arts, crafts, and music.

• Assist in identifying and preserving sites, historical data, artifacts, and objects associated with Gullah Geechee people and culture for the benefit and education of the public.

The Nationally Recognized Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was designated by the Gullah/Geechee Cultural

Heritage Act, passed by Congress on October 12, 2006 (Public Law 109- 338)

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This is a grassroots effort to:Develop a concept plan that captures, celebrates and begins the process of developing local, regional and national support for the establishment of a 30 mile Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in Brunswick County in the form of a Greenway/Blueway Trail.

Proposed Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Multi-Use Greenway/Blueway Trail

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• Educational Outreach: Increasing understanding and awareness of Gullah Geechee people, culture and history.

• Economic Development: Supporting tourism and businesses while promoting the preservation of the land and natural resources that are important to a heathy way of life and a sense of place.

• Documentation and Preservation: Trails, Greenways and Blueways have the power to connect and bond us to the fabric of our collective society by preserving and celebrating historic places and providing access to them.

• Promoting Healthy Living: Creating new recreational opportunities that provide safe, inexpensive avenues for regular exercise for people living in rural, urban and suburban areas in Brunswick County.

• Protecting the Environment: Greenways and Blueways protect important habitat and provide corridors for people and wildlife.

• And, potential to link to the 3,000 mile East Coast Greenway

Regional and Community-wide Benefits

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The trail system planning and developmentis already underway.

Our local communities have already begun their efforts to create their respective pieces of the Greenway/Blueway mosaic.

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Town of Leland• Completed Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master

Plan in August of 2018• New Sturgeon Park Planning underway with direct

Greenway/Blueway connections.• Currently constructing MUPs and other recreational

features around their Municipal Campus

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Leland Future Sturgeon Park

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Town of Belville• Just broke ground on a ½ mile Belville Elementary and Rice Hope Multi-Use

Paths MUP project to improve safe school access. • Proposed Cape Fear Memorial Bridge - Connection from Brunswick County

to the City of Wilmington and the Battleship Park and Wilmington East Coast Greenway spur.

• NC-DOT has future plans to widen a four mile plus portion of State Route 133 in Belville which will include a 10’ MUP heading south towards the City of Southport.

• Awarded a public access grant of $191,500 through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management that will anchor a Blueway paddle trail system along the Brunswick River and the Cape Fear River

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Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization

2045 Transportation Master Plan Update

Project RW-51 NC 133/River Road Widening – 4.16 miles

KEYWORDS: SAFETY; COASTAL EVACUATION ALTERNATIVE; MULTI-COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN CONSISTANCY; STRATEGIC REGIONAL AND NATIONAL IMPORTANCE; MULTI-MODAL; CONGESTION MITIGATION; CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS; SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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Brunswick County Blueprint Brunswick 2040 project -BC’s Planning and Parks and Recreation departments have teamed up for a 12-month initiative called Blueprint Brunswick 2040 to craft two new plans: a Comprehensive Land Use Plan and a Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

City of SouthportIn December 2019, Cape Fear COG has a study underway for an off-road trail along the 17-mile N.C. 211 corridor from the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry to Stone Chimney Road near U.S. 17.

. . . . And there is more!!

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In addition to the ongoing efforts of Navassa, Leland, Belville and others, there are many significant cultural and historic features that reside along and within reach of the Brunswick portion of the proposed Gullah Geechee Heritage Greenway / Blueway Corridor, as exampled by:

• The Brunswick Town Historic District • The Orton Plantation • Southport Historic District

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CURRENT OUTREACH

• National Park Service, River and Trails Program

• Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor Foundation

• East Coast Greenway Organization• Wilmington Metropolitan Planning

Organization• US Army Corps of Engineers• New Hanover County Branch - NAACP• COG - Rural Planning Organization• Brunswick County Planning• NC Department of Natural and Cultural

Resources• NC Division of State Historic Sites• NC Parks and Recreation – Trails

Program• NC African American Heritage

Commission• Moore Foundation• Terry Benjey Bicycling Foundation

• Town of Navassa• Town of Leland• Town of Belville• Leland Economic Development• Leland Parks and Recreation• City of Southport• City of Boiling Spring Lakes• Cedar Hill African – American Heritage Park• African – American Heritage Museum of

Southeastern NC• Cape Fear Cyclists• Brunswick Environmental Action Team

Brunswick County, which is totally within the boundaries Congressionally established GG Corridor, is the fastest growing county in NC and the fourth fastest growing in the United States. Preserving, protecting and celebrating our area’s historic and cultural features must be at the heart of sustainable growth and development here in Brunswick County.

Current resolutions of support:

Brunswick County, WMPO, Navassa, Belville, and Leland

Letters of Partnership Commitment and/or Support:

Cape Fear COG RPO, Navassa, Leland, Belville, East Coast Greenway Alliance, WMPO, Southern Environmental Law Center, Terry Benjey Bicycling Foundation, Cape Fear Cyclists, Brunswick Environmental Action Team and Brunswick County

Where we are and next steps . . . .

Next Steps:

Continuing collaboration with our friends and partners that have signed on to support this effort.

Preparation of our application for support from the National Park Service’s River and Trails Group. Due no later than March 2021 with the possibility of early submission. Draft nearly complete

Continued outreach to our community when and where we can.

Exploring grant opportunities.

And most Important, build an army of supporters that will make this happen!!!!!

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Just imagine, with solid planning, community teamwork and support . . . . this could be us in the future.

Our bikes are ready and waiting . . . .

Brainstorm Ideas for a 2021 Gullah Geechee Greenway/Blueway Trail Celebration

Booths displaying Bike / Ped plans for Belville, Navassa, Leland, Brunswick County, WMPO, RPO, East Coast Greenway, Cape Fear Cyclists, Economic Development, Tourism Groups, Rice Festival, Terry Benjey Bicycling Foundation, WECT-TV and/or WWAYPre celebration. Belville Elementary School Bike Art Contest – The intent of the art work is to express the joys of bicycling or bike to school, in a form suitable for public display on large banners mounted on street poles throughout municipalities and other public spaces. – Tee shirts, posters, banners. Awards at the celebrationCitizen input cards, Maps . . . . . Drawing for bikes, Helmets, Kayak, fishing gear etc. throughout the day.Friends of the trail starter effortMailing listPhotos/videos for websiteNorth Carolina Art Councilhttps://bikeleague.org/bikemonthBike safety, Bike Mechanics 101, Family Bike Riding seminarsGullah Geechee bikers - Navassa to Belville Celebration rideNational Park Service greenway/blueway trail workshopsBike safety rodeo http://www.bikemn.org/storage/documents/rodeo-101-v1.2.0.pdf

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To learn more about the Gullah Geechee Culture check out this link offered by:

Mr. Ron Daise, Gullah descendant and story teller, given as part of a TEDx presentation.

https://youtu.be/cuWRaWGVNlM

And the Up Your Arts of Southport is sponsoring Historian Anita Singleton-Prather, who performs spoken word and musical folktales in her Gullah character, Aunt Pearlie Sue at the Southport Plein Air Festival scheduled for May 14-15, 2021.

Specifics of their program are yet to be finalized. . . Stay tuned

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We, the members of the NAACP, constantly strive to improve and empower the lives of the people we serve.

And for those we serve and our members we thank you for the privilege of your time, consideration and support.

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“The tree of our family was parted - branches here, roots there –parted for their lumber.” ― Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer

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Questions