Sandra Boyd

June 2026 Issue

by Mary Hope Roseneau
Photography by Cassidy Dunn Photography

 

Sandra Boyd is now the matriarch of her family on Saint Helena Island. But she remembers very well growing up in New Rochelle, New York, and travelling by Greyhound bus or car twice a year to visit her grandparents, aunts, uncles. and cousins. She loved coming South, but back then, it had “interesting moments,” as she puts it.

Segregation was widespread in most states, particularly in the South. Blacks were not welcome to stay at motels, eat at restaurants, use water fountains or bathrooms. But there were “safe places” along the way, and Sandra shared that “South of the Border” in Dillon, SC, was one of those. Even then, her family always took baskets of their own food and drinks along for the long ride.

Back then families had few options to keep in touch— writing letters, making costly long-distance phone calls, and visiting in person. They treasured visiting their Southern relatives and felt welcome and loved during their frequent visits. Family and legacy were important, especially to the elders, who taught the children the same values.

Today, Sandra has retired and returned to her parents’ home on St. Helena Island. It is a comfortable 50-year-old brick home with eight acres shaded by huge live oaks. For a while, she listed it as an Airbnb rental, and met lots of new friends from around the world. Guests have all felt the peace and safety surrounding them as they came in her door. She feels her house is “protected land.”

Sandra navigates through life guided by Maya Angelou’s wise words: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“So, each of us should reach out and touch someone,” Sandra said.

Her teaching career began in New York State, however, Sandra decided it was time to come home to South Carolina when major teacher layoffs started happening in her area. After the move, she taught early childhood education at St. Helena Elementary School and introduced many innovative techniques, such as the “Open Classroom” and self-directed learning.

She organized field trips and new experiences for her students and even took the St. Helena Drum and Dance Group all the way to China! The students raised their own money for airplane travel, but once there, everything was all-inclusive. It was a trip of a lifetime for the students and teachers, alike. They saw the Great Wall of China and many other famous sights and landmarks while there. It was an innovative way to show students on St. Helena that there is a big world outside of South Carolina, and they never have forgotten it.

One day, Sandra received a call from Diane Trister Dodge, the renowned early childhood education author of The Creative Curriculum series, asking her to teach workshops across the country. At first, Sandra declined the offer, but Ms. Dodge was persistent, and Sandra finally agreed. It was a life-changing decision.

This opportunity took her all over the United States (47 out of 50 states) and to other countries, leading educational workshops for early childhood teachers. Sandra’s reputation grew as an expert in early childhood curriculum, which led to an offer to become director of a newly created governmental program leading the East Coast Federal Infant and Toddler Region 12 program “Head Start.” She managed programs in Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia, eventually organizing nationwide conferences for the program. Those were her busy years, but over the last few years, she has directed her energies back to her roots.

During Covid-19, many heritage celebrations at nearby Penn Center were cancelled, and Sandra deeply felt the loss, concerned that traditions and family histories would fade away. She reached out to Penn Center and suggested a project to designate November as Cleanup Family Cemeteries on St. Helena Month. In addition to taking care of the cemeteries, another goal was for the younger generation to get to know their long-gone ancestors to understand the importance of their heritage.

“Legacy is Love. When we stop talking about the past, it will be forgotten,” Sandra exclaimed. She has also worked with the College of Charleston and other groups to create oral histories—important stories, both written and recorded, so ancestors will not be forgotten,

Soon others started to share Sandra’s vision, and a small group convened to write a grant proposal. They named their organization De Gullah SHIPP, an acronym for Saint Helena Island Preservation Project. The first grant they were awarded was $10,000, which they used to start a partnership with Morning Glory Farms.

Their first collaborative event was “Arts in the Garden” at Sandra’s home. Children were invited to create art projects with assistance of local artists Mary Mack and Hank Herring to support “Coastal Kids,” a program to take children on field trips and to workshops in the area, such as Spring Island Summer Camp, Dupont Plantation, Sunrise at the Beach, and Whole Family Community Baby Shower. Parenting classes for new mothers and financial literacy classes for teenage girls are also in the works, `to name a few.

The next big event is the 2026 Third Annual Cheers for Chairs fundraiser. It will be held Sunday, November 15, 12-3:00 p.m. at Penn Center, Frisselle Community House. There will be an auction of original chair art and other artifacts by local artists. In addition, there will be a celebration of the Gullah culture with shared oral histories over brunch and mimosas.

“Stewardship of the land is an important theme for De Gullah SHIPP. But strengthening families and building one-on-one relationships is equally important,” Sandra said passionately. “Our children’s future depends on it.”

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Fun Facts:

Sandra’s stressed the importance of: working collaboratively, and the creation of De Gullah SHIPP is no exception. Since incorporation in 2021 she and her team, Suzanne Sparks, Josh Zeide, Rhonda Hill Johnson, Inez Miller, Rose Horsey, Eboni Bynum, and Maya Maat, have partnered with local schools, along with the Strategic Council.

Family: Sandra treasures the support and love of her daughter, Eboni Bynum, and her grandchildren: Khalid Mays, who lives with Sandra, and twins Ninti and Kijni Bynum. Additionally, Sandra wants to mention her other grandson, Keanu Mays, who sadly is deceased, but the family knows he watches over them and blesses them every day.

For more information, visit: www.degullahshipp.org