Combahee

Combahee refers to a river in the Lowcountry of eastern South Carolina and to the surrounding region that takes its name from that watercourse. The Combahee River is a tidally influenced river connected to the ACE Basin estuarine system, comprising marshes, creeks, and wetlands that support a variety of wildlife and coastal habitats.

Historically, the Combahee River area is notable for the Combahee River Raid of June 1863, in which Union forces led by Harriet Tubman freed hundreds of enslaved people from plantations along the river. The operation is remembered as a significant Civil War event highlighting both military action and emancipation.

In Black feminist history, the name is associated with the Combahee River Collective, a Black feminist organization founded in Boston in the 1970s. Its 1977 Combahee River Collective Statement articulated an intersectional framework for analyzing oppression and solidarity, and is widely cited as an influential early articulation of Black feminist thought.

Today, references to Combahee appear in geographic contexts in South Carolina as well as in cultural and historical discussions related to the river and the region. The name is linked with the broader ACE Basin area, a region known for its wetlands and biodiversity.