Herman Haynes, better known as “Hanif,” grew up watching the daily ebb and flood of the Moon River behind his family’s property in Pin Point, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded in 1896 eleven miles southeast of Savannah, in Chatham County. The river played a pivotal role in Hanif’s life, as it was where he was baptized as a member of the Sweetfield of Eden Baptist Church and where he swam each summer with his friends. At the insistence of his family, Hanif pursued his education and employment outside of the crab industry.

As an only child, Stephanie Anderson grew up with a large, close-knit, extended family in Pin Point, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded in 1896, eleven miles southeast of Savannah, in Chatham County. Ms. Anderson was raised and influenced by several strong, independent women. One of those women was her mother, who was a nurse and loved helping people in the community. Just like her mother, Ms. Anderson loved helping people; however, because of her fear of needles and blood, she became a teacher instead.