Georgia Benevolent Fishermen’s Association
Mining Oysters, Courtesy of The New York Public Library
In Warsaw, Georgia, African Americans organized a cooperative at the turn of the century called the Georgia Benevolent Fishermen’s Association (GBFA). The GBFA had been the oldest collective among African Americans working in the oyster industry. In the Warsaw region, African Americans represented the predominant workforce in that industry. Men fished for oysters and women and children shucked them. WEB Du Bois’ research tells us that African Americans did 90% of the work in the oyster industry. In addition, the tradition developed in which African Americans leased land and planted oysters similar to how the chicken industry operates today. The GBFA had the largest amount of leased land, some 2000 acres that its 45 members worked. Similar African American owned cooperatives in the oyster industry existed in other regions too.
