George Seabrooks recounts from more than 50 years ago when he and other Black residents living near Pooler had to “depend on each other to survive.” The Seabrooks were among one of the first Black families to settle in the area west of Savannah and, up until the 1970s, they were excluded from Pooler proper.
“There was segregation, discrimination, racism like any other southern state, city or town,” Seabrooks recalls. “The playing fields weren’t leveled, but despite that, these people survived.”
Decades later, Seabrooks will recount his family history to attendees of Pooler's first ever Juneteenth commemorative event. The celebration, hosted by the non-profit Pooler Juneteenth Celebration Committee, will feature a full line-up of dancing, singing and storytelling performances, as well as vendors, a health fair and games. The festival will be held this Sunday at the Tanger Outlets from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Pooler Juneteenth Flyer by savannahnow.com on Scribd
Tom Hutcherson, Pooler’s first Black council member, spearheaded the event after council decided to make Juneteenth an official city holiday last fall.
“We celebrate the Fourth of July for America's independence and it's fitting that that we celebrate June 19 because it marks the end of slavery and independence for African Americans,” said Hutcherson.
Juneteenth, which was made a federal holiday in 2021, commemorates the date in which the last enslaved people in America were notified of their freedom. The entire journey to emancipation was lengthy.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which freed all slaves in states not under Union control. That had little effect until the Civil War ended in Union victory in April 1865, marking freedom for all enslaved people. Yet, emancipation did not come to Texas until General Order No. 3 was issued on June 19, 1865, two months after the end of the Civil War and two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
And, it wasn't until the 13th amendment was ratified in December that institutional slavery was finally outlawed, but, as some scholars say, lay the groundwork for mass incarceration. Legal segregation continued until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
“We had the element of slavery and segregation … that’s just the life of a Black person in this country,” said Seabrooks.
In the mid ‘50s, Seabrooks attended Antioch Elementary, one of the first Black elementaries in the region. The conditions between his school and Pooler Elementary, reserved for white students, were beyond disparate.
“We didn’t have hot lunches, so we had to bring our own,” he recalls, “everything we had was handed down from the white schools.”
And because his neighborhood was on the outskirts of incorporated Pooler, the homes of Black families relied on private wells and septic tanks rather than the city’s infrastructure. To this day, that is still the system his home runs on.
Credit: Nancy Guan / Savannah Morning News
Credit: Nancy Guan / Savannah Morning News
Seabrooks has lived in the same neighborhood he was born in for the past 70 years, but the world around him has shifted drastically. Once a town that excluded Black people, Pooler has grown and expanded to incorporate his community on the Western edge. And, like most municipalities in West Chatham, the city has seen an increase in ethnic diversity.
The Black population in Pooler more than doubled in the past decade, now constituting the largest demographic in the city, according to the 2020 census. Hispanic or Latino residents increased by more than 150%. All other ethnicities saw gains as well.
It’s a result of a combination of factors: residents looking for alternatives to Savannah’s high cost of living, transplants migrating to the south for affordability as well and the continued influx of jobs boosted by the Port of Savannah.
LaTricia Brown moved to Pooler from Savannah nearly a decade ago. Like many others, she wanted to get away from the traffic and increasing crime. In the years she’s lived in the city, Brown has noticed the demographic shift. She’s the owner of a small bridal alteration studio and is often looking to foster a sense of community with other Black small business owners.
“(Before) we relied on the Great Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce to have that sense of community,” said Brown.
Lately, she’s noticed more Black and brown-owned businesses crop up. Instead of feeling alone like she did nine years ago, she’s starting to see that long-desired community form.
Growing up, Brown said she never learned about Juneteenth in school or even in college. In talking with Chatham County-area high school students, she learned that not much has changed since.
“I think we need to start figuring out how to get this added to the curriculum,” said Brown.
But in the meantime, she’s looking to educate people about Juneteeth this Sunday.
“There were thousands of slaves that had no idea that they were free,” said Brown, “We should celebrate the actual emancipation of everybody, down to the last slave. I think it’s needed and it’s important.”
Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: ‘It’s needed, it’s important’: Pooler to host first-ever Juneteenth celebration this year
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