The Snowden Community is one of the oldest African American communities established after the Civil War in 1866 as a place for formerly enslaved people to live free. The majority of the current Snowden residents are direct descendants of enslaved West Africans brought to the shores of South Carolina, Sullivan’s Island during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.


More than 10 years ago, the leaders of Olive Branch AME Church and their Trustee Board Members solicited and encouraged the support of the Snowden Community residents with the promise of constructing a new Olive Branch AME Church, a parsonage and a life center for the members of Olive Branch Church. That promise never came to fruition.

The Leaders of Olive Branch AME Church were invited to attend the April 12th Snowden Community Civic Association meeting. At this meeting, the Olive Branch AME Church Leaders were asked whether or not there was ever any consideration given by Olive Branch Church leaders in their decision making process, as to the overall negative impact upon the quality of life for most if not all of our Snowden residents. Needless to say, everyone in attendance at the April 12th meeting was shocked to hear the leaders of Olive Branch AME Church indicate that they had not given any consideration to how their decisions and/or actions would impact the lives our Snowden residents. Especially, since a significant number of our Snowden residents and their families have been lifelong members of Olive Branch AME Church for many generations.

We fully understand that a property owner has the right to sell and/or develop their property as long as the developing plans conform to the municipalities land use and zoning regulations. However, our Snowden Community residents have expressed a number of concerns about the potential negative impacts of an outside developer upon the overall rural characteristic, their history, heritage, cultures and quality of life within our African American community.

Most of the residents living in our community are related to each other and the property that they and their families live on; is property that has been inherited form their ancestor; many of them who were enslaved West Africans forcefully brought to the United States of America and helped to build the very foundation of this country. The sale and proposed development of the Olive Branch AME Church property will change the history, cultural characteristic and the lives of many of our Snowden community residents forever.

Many of the Olive Branch congregation members (who live in Snowden) were not aware of the plans to sell the church property and there has been no efforts made by the Olive Branch Church leaders to inform our community as a whole; until the Snowden Community Civic Association reached out to the Olive Branch African Methodist Episcopal Church Pastor and Trustee Members.

Most if not all of us, have been taught to believe that our churches were always the primary enforcer of what was good and best in Gods eye for his people. We have always known and recognized our church as being the foundation upon which our communities are built. Now, many of our residents are left wondering if this belief is no longer true.