WALLACE, La., Aug. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WALLACE, La. (Aug. 6, 2024)—The Descendants Project praised today the decision by Greenfield Louisiana, LLC on Tuesday to withdraw plans to build what would have been one of the world’s largest grain terminals in St. John the Baptist Parish, a historically Black community in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” with ties to slavery.
Dr. Joy Banner and Jo Banner, sisters and co-founders of The Descendants Project, engaged in a legal and public relations fight against the proposed terminal, which would have harmed their community’s livability and jeopardized historic landmarks tied to slavery.
“We’ve fought for three long years to save the community, way of life, and heritage we love. Now the real work begins. We look forward to working with the community to heal, preserve, and build a healthy, bright future together,” said Dr. Joy Banner and Jo Banner in a statement. “We want to thank our attorneys, supporters, and community members for trusting and fighting alongside us.”
The proposed terminal would have included 56 grain silos and multiple structures nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty that would have pumped 139 tons of dust and pollution into the community annually. The Parish at the center of the fight was settled by Black Union soldiers following the Civil War.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that Whitney Plantation, Evergreen Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation, in addition to the historically Black burial ground Willow Grove Cemetery, would all be adversely impacted by the proposed grain terminal. In light of the proposed project, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the 11-mile corridor along the Mississippi River as one of its “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” in 2023.
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The Descendants Project is a 501c3 nonprofit organization established to support descendant communities in river parishes working together to dismantle the legacies of slavery and to achieve a healed and liberated future.
Kimberly Hefling The Descendants Project kimberly.hefling@gmmb.com
