Hurricane Florence and the Displacement of African-Americans
Along the Carolina Coast
The places that are most threatened by Hurricane Florence this
week, especially along the coast of the Carolinas, were heavily and, in some areas,
almost entirely populated and owned by African-Americans a century ago.
While many of these black residents have since moved
elsewhere, those in pockets like Princeville, N.C., remain. One of the oldest
towns incorporated by African-Americans in the United States, Princeville was
devastated by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, but many residents chose to stay,
hoping to avoid "another lost colony."
Regina Cobb, 50, and her family have lived in Princeville for
generations. "If it floods this time, I think my family is out,"
she said this week. "This is God's way of saying: 'It's time to do
something different.'"
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