WALLACE, Louisiana – Sisters Jo and Dr. Joy Banner live just a few miles from where their ancestors were enslaved more than 200 years ago, in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. His tidy Creole cafe in the small riverside town of Wallace is just a few steps from the property his great-grandparents bought more than a century ago.
It’s a historic area that the sisters were dedicated to keeping free from the heavy industry that lines the opposite bank of the Mississippi River.
“We have all these little pockets of free cities around these sugarcane plantations. It’s a great story of tenacity and how we were able to be financially independent and economically savvy,” said Joy Banner.
Today, miles of sugar cane border the homes on Wallace’s west side. To the east, two plantations tell the story of enslaved people: one has more than a dozen slave quarters and the other a memorial commemorating a slave revolt.
Across the Mississippi, refineries and other heavy industries crowd the view, showing Wallace residents exactly what the Banners are fighting against to take control of their side of the river. Together, they created a non-profit organization called The Descendants Project to preserve the culture of black Louisianans. The immediate goal is to prevent a proposed 222-acre (90-hectare) grain export facility from being built within 91 meters (300 feet) of the Banners’ property and near several historic sites.
“This would essentially pave the way for the entire West Bank area, which has no heavy industry, to simply be industrialized,” said Jo Banner. “We have a lot of assets and it will be decimated if we get these plants.”
Your feelings echo those of the residents who live in other cities along Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, an 85-mile corridor along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It is filled with industrial plants that emit toxic chemicals, including known carcinogens.
The Descendants Project has engaged with Greenfield Louisiana LLC, the company proposing the grain terminal, as well as the local St. John the Baptist Parish Council, for nearly two years, seeking to stop the construction of the Greenfield Wallace Grain Export Facility.
It would receive and export grain by-products via trucks, trains and barges. While some city residents support the project, the Banners and other neighbors fear it will eradicate historic landmarks and pollute the area.
“We already have problems with industry on the other side of the river,” said Gail Zeringue, whose husband’s family purchased their property in the late 1800s. “Adding a grain elevator to that is just stacking it.”
The Parish Council recently rezoned about 1,300 acres (526 hectares) of commercial and residential properties for heavy industry. Another strip along a residential zone was redesignated for light industry. All land is owned by the Port of Louisiana and leased to Greenfield Louisiana LLC.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found that the grain facility could adversely affect several historic properties in and around Wallace, including the Evergreen, Oak Alley and Whitney plantations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the terminal could add to “the many existing manufacturing industries and other existing sources of environmental load for the community of São João Batista Parish”.
After almost two years, Greenfield is still waiting for the permitting process to be completed.
“It seems to me that the Army Corps wants to make sure everyone is heard,” said Lynda Van Davis, counselor and chief of external affairs for Greenfield Louisiana. “Before we do anything, we talk to the community first and therefore our system is safer and it is green.”
The facility will be used for transportation and there will be no chemicals or manufacturing on site, something Greenfield officials said sets it apart. They also plan multiple dust collection systems to minimize emissions.
They are aware of Wallace’s historical significance, Van Davis said.
“We did tests. We made sure there were no remains of any previous slaves that may have been buried in the area,” Van Davis said. “In the event that we found any remains or perhaps some artifacts, we would stop and make sure the right people went in and preserved any artifacts that were found.”
Specifically, Greenfield said, the State Historic Preservation Office would intervene. The Amistad Research Center, the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum and the state park system are also potential partners to help decide what to do with any artifacts or remains that might be discovered.
Some neighbors are more concerned about Wallace’s future than his past. They are concerned that the city’s prosperity depends on approval of the facility. Wallace doesn’t even have a gas station and school enrollment has declined.
“The only changes I saw in my community were people leaving. We have absolutely nothing on our West Bank,” said longtime resident Willa Gordon.
“That automatically meant for me jobs coming to my community and economic development and growth, so I was really excited. I’m disappointed that years later, it’s still not here,” said Nicole Dumas.
Greenfield plans to create more than 1,000 new jobs during construction and 370 permanent positions when the site opens. The company also promised to host local job fairs, training and certification programs.
St. John the Baptist Parish Council members Virgie Johnson and Lennix Madere Jr., the elected officials representing Wallace, declined to comment on the proposed construction. Both voted in favor of the zoning change.
The tug of war between past and present is familiar across the country, with small, historic black towns shrinking because of gentrification, industry or lack of resources.
Through their nonprofit organization, the Banners aim to create a network of historic communities and economic opportunities. They recently moved a plantation house where their ancestors lived to their property in hopes that it could receive a historical marker and prevent any industrial construction on their land.
“We are doing what we can to protect and resist, but it is crucial that we keep these plants at bay,” said Jo Banner.
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