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The Descendants Project (Louisiana)
@project_descend
The Descendants Project is a 501c3 nonprofit organization established to support descendant communities in the river parishes.
Non-Governmental & Nonprofit Organization Wallace, Louisianathedescendantsproject.comJoined January 2022
The Descendants Project (Louisiana)’s Tweets
Cancer Alley – an 85-mile corridor along the Mississippi River – is one of the most toxic locations in the United States.
Plastic companies and other polluters want to keep on building. Sign the petition to block further buildout: on.only.one/CA-TW
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In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Descendants Project hosted a community cleanup. Thanks to all of the residents and visitors who came out today in service to the Wallace community and in remembrance of Dr. King! ❤️✊🏽
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In honor of MLK Day, the Descendants Project is hosting a community clean-up on Monday, January 16th from 10:00am-12:00pm. Please meet us at the Fee-Fo-Lay Cafe, 5593 Highway 18, Wallace LA, 70090 for cleaning supplies. Lunch to follow! #MLKDay2023 #thedescendantsproject
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The Descendants is honored to be a part of the upcoming "National Day of Racial Healing: An MSNBC Town Hall" airing this Tuesday, Jan.17th at 9pm CST on MSNBC. Co-hosts Joy Reid and Chris Hayes will lead a discussion on we can become a more just and equitable society.
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Shielding Greenfield from tax responsibility to our parish would take money directly from our schools to line the pockets of Greenfield executives. The School Board would lose $1.6 million a year, more than the entire budget for teachers at West St. John High School.
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Residents of Cancer Alley have the highest risk of cancer in the nation due to air emissions, and communities of color are disproportionately affected. As we enter a new year, we will continue to fight against toxic industrial development
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Particulate pollution causes lung cancer, asthma, and other diseases, especially in low-income communities.
This is one of many reasons why we're fighting the development of Denver-based Greenfield’s toxic grain elevator.
There should never be profit-driven enterprises on land where enslaved ancestors are likely buried–whether that’s an AirBnB or a toxic grain terminal.
The history of slavery in our region should be shared thoughtfully and approached with reverence.
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Happy holidays from all of us at The Descendants Project! May this period of time with family and friends anchor us all in community and connection to our roots–the foundation of why we continue to advocate for and protect the health and well being of River Parish residents.
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Congrats to the recipients of our inaugural “Culture Keepers” Award: the “Old School Guys Getting It Done," a group of bonfire builders who will also receive a $2,500 grant. Thanks for preserving St. John's cultural heritage! Join them tonight at 7pm to see the bonfire lighting!
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30 years ago, the St. John parish president illegally changed parish zoning from residential to industrial. Zoning never changed and now we're vulnerable to the proposed Greenfield grain terminal. Listen to co-founder Joy Banner on show:
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Tonight's interview with Roland Martin has been rescheduled! Stay tuned for updates next week.
Tomorrow @ 10AM, will host a press conference addressing Greenfield's sweetheart tax deal that would take $209M out of critical infrastructure & schools in St. John Parish. Catch it live on FB here: facebook.com/descendantspro
Read more:
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Join us tomorrow at 10am to discuss updates on the proposed Greenfield project: the $209MIL sweetheart tax deal, the Port of S. LA's questionable involvement, revealing public records and emails from public officials, permitting updates & more. Tune in: facebook.com/descendantspro
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TODAY is ELECTION DAY! Make a plan to VOTE for Public Service Commissioner. In a state with skyrocketing energy costs, the PSC can develop solutions to bring utility costs down. Polls open 8am - 7pm. Find your polling place at geauxvote.com.
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Denver-based Greenfield is attempting to get a $200MIL tax break on the proposed grain elevator by "renting out" the port's tax-exempt status. This is a sham. This article explains why we told the tax assessor that this move is illegal.
Thanks to for having Co-Founder Jo Banner share her experience last week as part of the UN’s #INC1 treaty negotiations on plastic pollution. Elected leaders must meet with and listen to frontline communities like ours, NOT the petrochemical industries poisoning us
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The proposed Greenfield borrow pit is on the same tract of land as the proposed grain terminal. Yet no mention of the project at public meetings. What impacts would a 200-acre project of this size bring to the land and neighborhoods in Wallace?
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We are pleased to honor Dr. Joy Banner and Jo Banner, Co-Founders and Co-Directors of , who are on the front lines of the struggle against environmental racism in the form of petrochemical plants along Louisiana’s River Road, otherwise known as "Cancer Alley.” 3/
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Jo Banner from The Descendants Project shares how the petrochemical extraction is impacting communities in #CancerValley Louisiana “Our way of life does not have to be our way of death”✊ RT!
#BreakFreeFromPlastic #INC1 #PlasticsTreaty
(Photo: Erica Nunez)
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Some remarkable interventions on the plenary floor at #PlasticsTreaty negotiations from frontline communities, incl. Jo from - 'Our way of life doesn't have to be our way of death'. Plastic production is having devastating human costs right now.
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Some remarkable interventions on the plenary floor at #PlasticsTreaty negotiations from frontline communities, incl. Jo from @project_descend - 'Our way of life doesn't have to be our way of death'. Plastic production is having devastating human costs right now.
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#BreakFreeFromPlastic US Environmental Justice Delegation Statement on Global #PlasticsTreaty Negotiations: "We urge the U.S. delegation to meet with those of us being poisoned, rather than taking another meeting with the industries that are poisoning us." breakfreefromplastic.org/2022/12/01/bff
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From our backyards in Wallace to testifying before the UN, we continue our fight for the Louisiana river parishes' Black descendant communities. This #GivingTuesday, make a stand for environmental and racial justice in the river parishes. Donate today >> thedescendantsproject.com/donate
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Friday, we learned that the Council was considering passing a resolution to build a 215 acre excavation site with zero community input. The agenda item was removed, but how did we get here in the first place? We are watching, and we will not back down. We demand transparency.
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Join us Tuesday before the St. John Parish Council Meeting to hear latest updates on the potential toxic grain terminal. We demand transparency and require community feedback before the council votes on any construction project that could poison our community for generations
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Let's talk about what the proposed Greenfield grain elevator will look & feel like for community members. Such a large facility right in our backyards will have an inevitable impact on our wellbeing. In Greenfield's schematics, you'll see one thing missing: depiction of our homes
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Two grain elevators in our country have exploded in the past week–one nearby in Lake Charles. Grain elevators pose a real danger to communities bc the potential for explosions is a constant threat. We will not stand for such a hazardous facility being built in our backyards.
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This article shows how far Greenfield will go to fast-track their toxic grain terminal. The sneaking around worries that this was not a neutral process. With this disrespect, how will they treat our ancestral burial grounds?
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If a cultural resources management firm “is needing to access my site, but is not communicating with me and is instead sneaking on and taking pictures, that doesn’t make me feel like it was a neutral process at all,” Ashley Rogers, the Whitney's executive director said.
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Whitney Plantation executive alleges Greenfield consultant accessed restricted property for ‘viewshed analysis’ work
thelensnola.org/2022/11/17/whi
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The weigh of evidence clearly shows that Cancer Alley is real, and that the problem lies with industrial pollution. Industry & their lackeys at the have shifted blame onto those suffering as a result of that pollution, but we know the truth.
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Our founder is speaking at a free virtual conference organized by this Fri/Sat. A great opportunity to learn from leaders creating a national model for best practices in descendant engagement and slavery interpretation. Register today: tinyurl.com/mrxczxyt
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This Native American Heritage month, we acknowledge the Indigenous communities of our region & Wallace's Chitimacha people. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples fighting for sovereignty. Visit native-land.ca to discover what native land you currently call home
The EPA will grant LA more than $2MIL to improve air quality monitoring in polluted areas, especially polluted Black communities between BR & NOLA along the MS River. We will partner with the to monitor air quality and bolster civic engagement.
Many of us attend cemetery blessings for our deceased loved ones, yet enslaved people buried in unmarked burial grounds throughout the River Parishes don't receive the same remembrance. Join us tomorrow to acknowledge and bless those who had no choice in their final resting place
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We stand with the and Marc Morial in demanding a civil rights probe of the Wallace grain terminal project by the EPA, who must investigate the potential devastating impacts of the project on air, water, and quality of life of Wallace, LA
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Honored to attend the Power Up training where founder Joy Banner delivered the welcome/land acknowledgment and shared connection between history of slavery and environmental justice. She even got a photo with (who said she did a great job!) #LeadonClimate
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The Descendants Project supports the & President/CEO Marc Morial as they urge the EPA to launch a civil rights investigation into the proposed development of Greenfield’s proposed grain elevator terminal in Wallace, Louisiana. Read letter: tinyurl.com/4a9srh4k
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This week, our founders Joy & Jo Banner are joining environmental justice & climate activists from across the Gulf South and speaking at the Power Up event along with other Southern leaders gathering to #LeadonClimate and tackle the injustices facing our region.
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