‘I never felt truly free:’ Hilton Head’s only black official condemns police brutality
A typically lively Hilton Head Island Town Council meeting fell silent on Tuesday when the island’s only black official started to speak:
“Michael Brown, 18 in Ferguson, Missouri.
Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman.
Eric Gardner, chokehold.
Dontre Hamilton, shot 14 times.
Ariane McCree, from Chester, South Carolina.
Ahmaud Arbery, from Brunswick, Georgia.
Breonna Taylor, from Louisville, Kentucky.”
Town Council representative Marc Grant started his general report at the virtual council meeting by listing the names of African Americans who have died in recent years at the hands of police.
The usually chatty virtual room was silent as Grant, 49, shared with the public and other leaders what he wants to see from Hilton Head’s government as the nation reels from protests and leaders attempt a national conversation about racism and police brutality.
“As a council we have accomplished many feel-good initiatives and improved the infrastructure of this island,” he said. “However, we have a duty and a responsibility to address the wrongs of this town, this county, and this state.”
He said the town has focused on environmental issues and tourism while failing to address larger, systemic issues related to racism and injustice.
“I realize that many of our citizens that move to Hilton Head fought those battles somewhere else and are ready to be comfortable,” he said. “But I challenge us all. As leaders, we have to become uncomfortable.”
Grant, who has served on the council since 2012, suggested the council use its established Gullah-Geechee Land & Cultural Preservation Task Force to coordinate with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and discuss policing practices.
“I would like our task force to ... make some recommendation on how we can improve community relations and ensure that we don’t have any of the names I called earlier be one that comes from Hilton Head,” Grant said.
Although not born on Hilton Head Island himself, Grant’s ward has a large contingency of black native islanders. His seat is up for re-election in November, and he wouldn’t say whether he’s planning to run again.
Weekend protests
Grant’s comments come after a weekend of demonstrations throughout the country.
On Hilton Head, a small group of people stood on the side of U.S. 278 Sunday afternoon to protest recent police brutality and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Photos showed both white and black protesters holding signs around 5 p.m. at U.S. 278 and Squire Pope Road. Maj. Bob Bromage said the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received no reports of violence.
Grant, despite his election to a position of public trust, acknowledged that being black on the island has always been more difficult than being white. He cited low wages, a lack of affordable housing, land management rules that Grant says “hamper creativity” of native islanders who own land, and eminent domain laws that have run rampant through black communities
and resulted in land loss.
“I’ve always been cautious as to how I interact on this council and in the community,” he said. “I have never felt truly free (to an) extent in America.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 2:19 PM.
