From Cotton Fields to Celebration: The Giles Family Reclaims Their Ancestral Land in South Carolina

The Giles family recently gathered for a holiday celebration that will undoubtedly be remembered for generations—a homecoming filled with history, pride, and a powerful sense of reclaiming what once seemed lost.

Their reunion took place in Jonesville, South Carolina, on a plot of land that carries deep ancestral roots. Decades ago, this same soil was where their forebears picked cotton as sharecroppers, enduring the hardships of a system that defined much of the South’s post-slavery economy. But today, that land—and the house that stands on it—belongs to the Giles family once again.

Decker Ngongang, a social sector consultant and community advocate, took to Twitter to share the extraordinary moment. His post quickly went viral, resonating with thousands who saw in it a story of perseverance and generational healing.

“My mom and her nine siblings grew up sharecropping in SC,” Ngongang wrote. “A while back, they found out the land our family worked was for sale, so they pooled their money and bought the house and land where generations of our family picked cotton. This was the first Giles family holiday in the old/new house.”
— (@Ngongang on Twitter, December 26, 2017)

The photo accompanying his tweet captured joy, connection, and history intertwined—an image that has since been shared across major outlets including The Washington Post and NPR, both of which highlighted it as a “moving symbol of Black family resilience” (source: The Washington Post).

As the holiday unfolded, Ngongang continued to post snapshots of the family’s celebration—each one illustrating how powerful it can be to reclaim one’s story.

“All us cousins were pretty damn proud,” he captioned one picture, showing the younger generation smiling together, soaking in the weight and warmth of their shared legacy.

Even when modern-day inconveniences—like 30 people trying to connect to weak country Wi-Fi—posed a challenge, the family found joy in the moment. “We had fellowship, food, and LeBron,” Ngongang joked, sharing laughter across the miles and generations.

The posts also captured snippets of family storytelling—such as an uncle reminiscing about swimming in a pond “with poisonous snakes” because, as he explained, “he respected them.” The humorous but poignant memory reminded everyone of the kind of grit and daring spirit their family had always embodied.

Adding to the lighthearted moments, Ngongang shared pictures of his sister and cousin taking selfies with what he dubbed the local “horse boy band.” Amid laughter and nostalgia, the family found beauty in the small, joyful details that made the day uniquely theirs.

For Ngongang, one of the most meaningful moments came when his young daughter had her very first “holiday plate”—a rite of passage steeped in tradition and togetherness.

Later, reflecting on the experience, Ngongang wrote:

“Being there made me think quite a bit about growing up in Charlotte (not even 60 miles away), how my mom got there, and how big an impact that 60-mile distance had on my life.”

His reflection speaks to a broader truth about the Great Migration and Black Southern families who moved north in search of opportunity but never forgot where they came from. Reclaiming their ancestral home became, in many ways, an act of emotional and historical restoration—a physical return to roots that had endured centuries of struggle.

As NPR noted in its coverage of similar stories, the act of reclaiming family land has become “a quiet but powerful movement among Black families in the South,” reconnecting descendants to a legacy once interrupted by dispossession and systemic inequality (source: NPR, 2022).

For the Giles family, this holiday wasn’t just a gathering—it was a full-circle moment, a celebration of endurance and a declaration of belonging. Their story stands as a reminder that land carries memory, and that reclaiming it can heal generations.

Cheers to the Giles family—for reclaiming, preserving, and honoring their family history.