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Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2,
299-319 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0021934705277497
Gullah Island Dispute Resolution
An Example of Afrocentric Restorative Justice
Morris Jenkins
University of Toledo
Restorative justice has been suggested as a means to deal with disproportionate minority confinement and other social problems within communities of color, specifically the Black community. However, scholars and practitioners have pointed out cultural concerns that must be addressed in the restorative justice process. Afrocentric theory and its principles have been suggested as a way to deal with the cultural concerns within the restorative justice process. This article examines the contemporary and historical means of informal dispute resolution in the Gullah Islands of South Carolina. These strategies of dispute or conflict resolution were used to deal with crime, delinquency, civil matters, community grievances, and other social wrongs outside the traditional common and civil legal systems. Through on-site in-depth interviews, focus groups, and an analysis of archival documents, the research determined that the strategies used on the Gullah Islands fell within the Afrocentric restorative justice model.
Key Words: Gullah • Afrocentric theory • restorative justice • conflict resolution • African American • informal social control
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