Opinion: Black Historical past at Threat of Elevated Industrialization
Revealed 11:36 pm Sunday, April 27, 2025
- Cemetery Clear Up Motion: The clear up effort was organized after a neighborhood member seen cracked graves and downed timber within the space.
By Stephanie Oblena,
Loyola Environmental Coverage Lab, RISE ST. JAMES LOUISIANA
The petrochemical to plantation pipeline within the River Parishes has resulted in former plantations changing into prime actual property for industries. Black historical past is being changed by smokestacks and poisonous air.
As if poisoning the residing alongside the river just isn’t sufficient, these crops additionally hurt those that have died. Provided that enslaved individuals lived and labored on plantation land, additionally they died and are nonetheless buried right here. Your individual ancestors could also be buried in these burial grounds which can be going to be cemented over to poison households, neighbors, and colleges.
In St. James Parish, for instance, Formosa Plastics broke floor within the Buena Vista cemetery, discovered our bodies of the enslaved, and needs to additional disturb this sacred floor with lethal business. Even then, the undertaking allow has but to be revoked.
Orange Grove cemetery is one other burial place threatened by the proposed Air Merchandise plant. Orange Grove was a former property of Louisiana enslaver John Burnside, who held not less than 1,000 individuals for labor. RISE is aware of of an estimated 268 people who find themselves buried on this property. Nevertheless, attributable to gaps in Louisiana and federal legislation, there are not any express protections for burial grounds of the enslaved.
As a substitute, teams like RISE St. James must struggle for recognition for the sanctity of human burial that’s at stake right here.
RISE’s St. James Historic Preservation Committee goals to struggle this risk in additional methods than one. The committee is beginning by nominating a historic marker for Orange Grove as a result of historical past is being erased one industrial advanced at a time.
The historic marker nomination is step one we’re taking to pursue Nationwide Historic Preservation, with the hopes of preserving Orange Grove as a Nationwide Historic Landmark and we want your assist.
The committee is looking for neighborhood members that care. Whether or not you’re a descendant, a historical past skilled, or simply need to assist be certain that the tales of individuals buried in locations like Orange Grove proceed to be instructed.
Be taught extra about our Committee at https://risestjames.org/historic-committee. Our purpose is for the enslaved individuals buried to relaxation in peace and in energy.
