Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land and Agriculture

Cornelia Walker Bailey was an inspiring storyteller and politically engaged resident of Sapelo Island’s Hog Hammock community who fought for the cultural survival of one the most intact remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the United States. She passed away on October 15, 2017.

Working in a model of community-based social science, UGAMI’s Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land and Agriculture seeks to address important questions on the history, present status, and future of agriculture, property politics and related issues on Sapelo Island.

The program will facilitate meaningful partnerships among UGAMI faculty and students, the staff of the State of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, the staff of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and residents of the Hog Hammock community.

The Cornelia Walker Bailey Program is co-directed by Nik Heynen and Maurice Bailey and was founded to honor Ms. Bailey’s legacy.

The program complements UGAMI’s broader educational mission of facilitating unique experiences of immersion, providing strong mentorship from UGAMI faculty and community leaders, and encouraging students to engage with real-world problems through UGAMI’s Geography of the Georgia Coast Domestic Field Study course and other opportunities, including internships and on-island student volunteer projects.

Donate: If you are interested in supporting the Cornelia Walker Bailey Program, please donate here or contact Professor Nik Heynen for information on how to make a donation.

Illustration of Cornelia Walker Bailey
Drawing of Cornelia Walker Bailey by Abigail West.