February 10, 2026: Yamacraw: Settlements & Displacements

The Yamacraw bluff and West Savannah have been the site of settlement and displacement from before the time of the founding of the Georgia colony as a final displacement of those who continue to live in Yamacraw Village looms large in 2026.  

We discussed the settlement of the Yamacraw Cree and their welcoming of James Oglethorpe and the colonists he brought to the New World, where they shared that bluff until the Yamacraw and the other tribes that called Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas home were marched to Oklahoma in the 1830s to make way for more colonists and the lucrative use of the land for growing cotton.  By the 1860s and following the Civil War, West Savannah, including the Yamacraw bluff, became home to formerly enslaved residents, who built homes, businesses, and a thriving community called Frogtown.  During the depression, Frogtown residents were displaced, first to construct Yamacraw Village and then in the 1960s to construct I-16, with no right of return.  We stand now to prevent the displacement of those who now inhabit Yamacraw Village and to support its reconstruction into a thriving community for low-income residents.  

The community is invited to bring their love to First African Baptist Church, 23 Montgomery Street on Saturday, February 14 at 11 am to hear the stories of West Savannah and pledge support to prevent this final displacement.

Next week, we will discuss healthcare--first the forgotten black heroes in medicine and the state of our healthcare today.  You can send comments and questions to hosts Opollo, Robo, Margie and Barbara at info@voicesofresistance.fm.