Heirs of Dennis & Emma Allen

                                        History 4DENNIS Movement

 

How Our Journey Began: Around February 1, 1897, our beloved ancestor

Mr. Dennis Allen - a direct son of African slaves purchased 19.5 acres of land from Julian A. Dimock and an additional 18.5 acres from Jane Chaplin and George Richardson around December 12, 1906 on Hilton Head Island, SC. Dennis married Emma Hamilton and had many descendants. For several years the Allen family has enjoyed the luxury of living on the property crossing a myriad of generations. The property is located near Broad Creek and Indigo Run Plantation and is currently registered at the Beaufort County, S.C. courthouse under the name, Heirs’ of Dennis and Emma Allen. The Allen family property is the largest parcel of undeveloped land owned by an African-American family on Hilton Head Island. Unfortunately, a vast majority of African-American families in the area have lost their property due to exuberant increases in property taxes, unfair real estate transactions, and greedy land developers who prey on the complexities of property owned by heirs’, especially land owned by African-American families.

Due to the current loose laws associated with heirs’ property in South Carolina, any heir could partition the court for their due share. This partition could include a division of the property or a sale which normally places the family in a disadvantageous situation.

 

Our journey to preserve the property and to maintain Dennis’ legacy began in 2009. It was at that time when the threats from South Carolina heirs’ property law began to have an impact on preservation. The descendants of Dennis Allen, II collaborated with family members across various states and combined resources to battle these threats. It has been a long and arduous journey but, we will never shy away from our ultimate goal – protect, preserve, and encourage prosperity by creating generational wealth! No family should have to fight to maintain their rightfully owned property, and this is why the 4DENNIS Movement campaign was started. We hope that our journey will provide other African-American families with resources, support, and up-to-date knowledge of the law and their rights to preserve their property and discuss ways to develop residual income for future generations.

 

4 DENNIS Movement Team

Matthew Allen, Chairmen of the Board

Pearlie Mae Cuyler-Allen, Immediate Past Vice Chair

Board Members:

Rolando Allen

Shamone Allen-Stephenson

Katrina Coleman

Chasity Cuyler

Jibreel Haneef

Elton Hollis

Roxanne Richardson